Infrared spectrum of the silicon hydride cation SiH7PLU

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

Silanium ions are an important class of hypervalent molecules, and the determination of their structure will yield insights into the nature of nonclassical bonding and provide a contrast to the bonding in carbonium ions. We report the infrared spectrum of the mass-selected silicon hydride cluster ion 28SiH7+, detected by vibrational predissociation spectroscopy. Silanium ions were formed in a pulsed high pressure glow discharge and cooled by the subsequent supersonic expansion. Photodissociation spectra were obtained using a tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer: SiH7+ ions were mass-selected and excited by a tunable infrared laser. The resulting photofragments were detected using a reflectron as a mass analyzer. We observed a vibrational band at 3865 cm-1, which was the only one observed from 3500 cm-1 to 4200 cm-1. This result suggests that the molecule might form a symmetric complex with the structure H 2·SiH3+·H2, in contrast to the species CH 7+, which has the structure CH5+·H2.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Number of pages6
PublisherPubl by Int Soc for Optical Engineering
Publication date1 Dec 1993
Pages326-331
ISBN (Print)0819410853
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 1993
SeriesProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume1858
ISSN0277-786X

ID: 236122454