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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
An improved time-of-flight method for cluster deposition and ion-scattering experiments
M Turra1, B Waldschmidt, B Kaiser
1Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 20, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany. turra@cluster.chemie.tu-darmstadt.de
Abstract:
A molecular beam apparatus has been developed for deposition and scattering experiments of size-selected clusters. The new setup combines a bimetallic laser ablation cluster source with a collinear time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Mass selection is achieved with a pulsed electrostatic mirror. A significantly improved transmission in combination with a reduction of the kinetic energy distribution of the mass selected clusters has been obtained. Without further modification of the apparatus, surface-induced dissociation of mass selected tin clusters has been investigated, demonstrating the possibility to combine cluster beam deposition and scattering experiments.
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