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Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Selective bond-breaking in formic acid by dissociative electron attachment
D S Slaughter1, Th Weber, A Belkacem
1Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. DSSlaughter@lbl.gov.
Abstract:
We report the results of a joint experimental and theoretical study of dissociative electron attachment to formic acid (HCOOH) in the 6-9 eV region, where H- fragment ions are a dominant product. Breaking of the C-H and O-H bonds is distinguished experimentally by deuteration of either site. We show that in this region H- ions can be produced by formation of two or possibly three Feshbach resonance (doubly-excited anion) states, one of which leads to either C-H or O-H bond scission, while the other can only produce formyloxyl radicals by O-H bond scission. Comparison of experimental and theoretical angular distributions of the anion fragment allows the elucidation of state specific pathways to dissociation.
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