Evaporatively cooled M+ (H2O)Ar cluster ions: infrared spectroscopy and internal energy simulations

Rotationally resolved IR spectra of M+ (H2O)Ar cluster ions for M=Na, K, and Cs in the O-H stretch region were measured in a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. Analysis of the spectra yields O-H stretch vibrational band origins and relative IR intensities of the symmetric and asymmetric modes. The effect of the alkali-metal ions on these modes results in frequency shifts and intensity changes from the gas phase values of water. The A-rotational constants are also obtained from the rotational structure and are discussed. Experimentally, the temperatures of these species were deduced from the relative populations of the K-rotational states. The internal energies and temperatures of the cluster ions for Na and K were simulated using RRKM calculations and the evaporative ensemble formalism. With binding energies and vibrational frequencies obtained from ab initio calculations, the average predicted temperatures are qualitatively consistent with the experimental values and demonstrate the additional cooling resulting from argon evaporation.