Dynamics of the dissociative electron attachment to Ethanol

TL;DR

This study investigates the site-specific dissociative electron attachment dynamics in ethanol, revealing how vibrational modes and isotope effects influence dissociation pathways and energy resonances.

Contribution

It provides detailed momentum imaging analysis of ethanol's DEA process, highlighting site selectivity, vibrational effects, and isotope influence on dissociation mechanisms.

Findings

H- dissociation peaks at 6.5 eV and 8 eV for O-H site

C-H site dissociation peaks at 9.5 eV

OH- channel resonance at 9.3 eV with low kinetic energy

Abstract

We report the detailed dynamics of the site selectivity observed in the dissociative electron attachment (DEA) process in ethanol based on the momentum images obtained using the velocity slice imaging technique. The H- dissociation channel shows the site selectivity where the anion signal from the O-H site peaks at 6.5 eV and 8 eV, and that from the C-H site peaks at 9.5 eV. The momentum images also show the two-body dissociation dynamics for the O-H site break-up. This dissociation channel shows a substantial effect of the torsion mode of vibrations on the electron attachment process. In contrast, the C-H site dissociation results from the many-body break-up consistent with the earlier reports of DEA dynamics from organic molecules. We have also found that the OH- channel has a resonance at 9.3eV and is produced with very little kinetic energy. Using the isotope substitution, we show the role of H atom scrambling in the C-O bond dissociation leading to the OH- channel. This channel shows a substantial deviation from the corresponding photodissociation dynamics.