GAS-PHASE PHOTODISSOCIATION STUDY OF AG(BENZENE)(+) AND AG(TOLUENE)(+)

Ag(benzene)(+) and Ag(toluene)(+) are photodissociated to explore the thresholds for the two pathways, simple cleavage of the Ag+-ligand bond to form Ag+ and dissociative charge transfer to form the benzene(+) and toluene(+) ions, respectively. The ions are generated and stored in the ion trap of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. The thermodynamic information obtained from these experiments is compared with recent determinations from other laboratories, particularly those from Duncan's laboratory involving photodissociation in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Significant differences are observed which are only partly understood at this time.