Temperature-Dependent Infrared Photodissociation Spectroscopy of (CO2)3+ Cation

Infrared photodissociation spectra of He-buffer gas -cooled (CO2)(3)(+) were measured at ion trap temperatures of 15, 50, 150, and 280 K. Electronic structure calculations at the mPW2PLYPD/aug-cc-pVDZ level were performed to identify the structures of the low-lying isomers and to assign the observed spectral features. The experimental and calculated infrared spectra show that the (CO2)(3)(+) cations formed in the source are primarily dominated by the charge partially delocalized C2O4+ motif, in which the positive charge is partially delocalized over the two CO2 molecules. Thermal heating at elevated internal temperature supplies sufficient energy to overcome the isomerization barriers and gives access to the charge completely delocalized (CO2)(n)+ (n = 3) motif, in which the positive charge is almost completely delocalized over all of the constituent CO2 molecules.