Electronic spectroscopy and photodissociation dynamics of Co(2+)-methanol clusters: Co2+ (CH3OH)n (n = 4-7)

Solvated cluster ions Co2+ (CH3OH)n (n = 4-7) have been produced by electrospray and studied using photofragment spectroscopy. There are notable differences between the photodissociation spectra of these complexes and the analogous water complexes. Co2+ (CH3OH)6 absorbs significantly more strongly than Co2+ (H2O)6. The photodissociation spectra of Co2+ (CH3OH)n (n = 4, 5 and 6) are very similar, which suggests that they share the Co2+ (CH3OH)4 chromophore, with additional solvent molecules in the second shell. In contrast, our earlier studies indicate that Co2+ (H2O)6 is six coordinate, and its spectrum is significantly different from that of Co2+ (H2O)4. The larger clusters Co2+ (CH3OH)n (n = 5-7) dissociate by simple loss of one or more solvent molecules. Larger clusters tend to lose more solvent molecules, especially at higher photon energies. As with the corresponding water cluster, Co2+ (CH3OH)4 photodissociates by proton transfer through a salt-bridge intermediate. This is accompanied by a modest kinetic energy release of 170 kJ mol(-1) and occurs with a lifetime of 145 ns.