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Updated: May 30, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Electron transfer-induced fragmentation of thymine and uracil in atom-molecule collisions
D Almeida1, R Antunes, G Martins
1Laboratório de Colisões Atómicas e Moleculares, CEFITEC, Departamento de Física, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
Abstract:
Ion-pair formation has been studied in hyperthermal (30-100 eV) neutral potassium collisions with gas phase thymine (C(5)H(6)N(2)O(2)) and uracil (C(4)H(4)N(2)O(2)). Negative ions formed by electron transfer from the alkali atom to the target molecule were analysed by time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. The most abundant product anions are assigned to CNO(-) and (U-H)(-)/(T-H)(-) and the associated electron transfer mechanisms are discussed. Special emphasis is given to the enhancement of ring breaking pathways in the present experiments, notably CNO(-) formation, compared with free electron attachment measurements.
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