| Photoelectron spectroscopy and mass spectrometry were employed to study cluster anion phenomena. Several of the variety of ways an electron might bind to a molecule or cluster were examined. The nature of the interaction in an assortment of heterogeneous dimeric systems were explored. A number of condensed phase phenomena, having no gas phase counterparts, were elucidated using cluster science techniques.; The study of excess electron binding revealed the smallest yet known solvated anion form. This study also resulted in the simultaneous observation of dipole bound and solvated electron forms of (HF)3− . Additionally, the first series of double Rydberg anions, N nH3n+1− (n = 2–5), was discovered. Photoelectron spectra were obtained for these and their solvated species. Also, improved spectra were taken of the previously recorded NH4 − double Rydberg system. Non-dissociative electron binding to dimethyl, diethyl and dipropyl disulfides was explored.; Several heterogeneous atomic and molecular interactions were examined. The observation that certain small anions, such as oxygen anion, O2 −, form an exceptionally strong contact with π systems was methodically investigated. A study of the reactivity of nucleic acid bases with several acidic species upon electron attachment was conducted. Additionally, an example of the interaction of a metal, cobalt, with an organic substrate, benzene, was examined.; The final area of interest covered in this thesis is condensed phase phenomena which do not occur in the individual molecules. Band gap closure in metals does not occur until a finite cluster size, and once closed, it can re-open and close repeatedly. Calcium is given as the latest example of this novel discovery and compared with Mgn− and Znn−. It has been known that Amino-Acids form zwitterions in solution but not as gases. The question of how many water molecules are required to induce this zwitterion formation in amino-acids is answered for several amino-acid/water cluster systems. Finally, it is demonstrated that the solvent effects of a few water molecules are all that is required to stabilize the anionic forms of several otherwise unstable organic species. |
