Electron impact studies of alkanesulfonyl chlorides. An investigation of the sulfur dioxide radical cation

Authors:

• Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu,
• M. Guerra,
• M. Hamdan,
• P. Traldi

Abstract

Electron impact mass spectrometry was used to study the fragmentation of a number of alkanesulfonyl chlorides. Mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectra of the ionic species obtained after the chlorine atom loss, i.e. [RO₂S]⁺, showed that the direction of further fragmentation depends on the molecular weight, leading to R⁺ and/or SO^{{radical dot}+}₂ cations. Based on experimental evidence an explanation for this phenomenon is advanced. The electronic excited states of SO^{{radical dot}+}₂ so produced as well as its dissociation to SO^{{radical dot}+} and S^{{radical dot}+} were investigated by means of translational energy (TE) and MIKE spectroscopies respectively, and compared with the analogous data obtained from the SO₂ molecular ion. The TES data pertaining to SO^{{radical dot}+}₂ support the existence of a long-lived non-dissociative electronic excited state at 2.5 ± 0.3 eV above its ground state. © 1992.