Paper SS+AS-WeM12
Hydrogen Bonding – Probing its Role in Electron-promoted Desorption from Icy Films

Wednesday, October 30, 2013, 11:40 am, Room 202 A

Previous work has demonstrated the efficiency of long range exciton transport to the vacuum/ice and substrate/ice interfaces in electron irradiation of solid water [1]. Building on this work, we have reported substantial enhancement of the cross-section for electron-promoted desorption (EPD) of benzene (C₆H₆) that we know to interact with the surface through a weak form of hydrogen-bonding (pi-hydrogen bonding which is found to be common in biological systems) [2,3]. To probe the role of the hydrogen-bonding network in solid water in promoting the large enhancement of the EPD cross-section, we have undertaken studies on solid methanol (which possesses a one-dimensional hydrogen bonding network) and a simple ether, diethyl ether (C₂H₅OC₂H₅), which present a similar electronic environment for exciton formation under electron irradiation yet have decreasing degrees of hydrogen bond interaction. We will report on our studies of the basic surface science of these thin films investigated using a combination of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and our C₆H₆ EPD measurements from these thin films. Comparisons with solid water as a substrate will be drawn.

[1] N.G. Petrik, and G.A. Kimmel, J. Chem. Phys. 123 (2005) 054702.

[2] J. D. Thrower, M. P. Collings, F. J. M. Rutten, and M. R. S. McCoustra, Chem. Phys. Lett. 505 (2011) 106.

[3] J. D. Thrower, A. G. M. Abdulgalil, M. P. Collings, M. R. S. McCoustra, D. J. Burke, W. A. Brown, A. Dawes, P. D. Holtom, P. Kendall, N. J. Mason, F. Jamme, H. J. Fraser and F. J. M. Rutten, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 28 (2010) 799.