Experimental Detection of Tetraoxygen

Area of Science:

• Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• The existence of tetratomic oxygen (O4) has been theoretically predicted since 1924.
• Despite theoretical predictions, experimental evidence for a stable, intact O4 species has remained elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide conclusive experimental proof for the existence of intact tetratomic oxygen (O4) as a gas-phase species.
• To characterize the stability and dissociation barrier of the O4 molecule.

Main Methods:

• Neutralization-re-ionization mass spectrometry was employed to detect and confirm the O4 species.
• The experimental setup allowed for the characterization of the O4 molecule's lifetime and dissociation energy.

Main Results:

• Conclusive experimental evidence for the existence of intact O4 in the gas phase was obtained.
• The O4 species was observed to have a lifetime exceeding 1 microsecond.
• The dissociation of O4 was found to require overcoming an energy barrier of approximately 10 kcal/mol.

Conclusions:

• The experimental detection of intact O4 definitively ends a long-standing search for this elusive molecule.
• The characterized stability and dissociation barrier provide crucial insights into the nature of O4.
• This finding opens new avenues for understanding oxygen allotropes and their chemical behavior.