Abstract
We have previously presented a comprehensive velocity-map imaging study into the dissociative electron-ionisation dynamics of CFI at energies ranging from 20 to 100 eV, focusing on dissociation channels of singly charged parent ions. Here we extend this work to include channels arising from doubly and triply charged CFI ions formed in collisions with 40–100 eV electrons. Both the dication and trication can dissociate either via two-body Coulomb explosion to form CF + I/I, or via a variety of many-body dissociation channels involving the loss of one or more neutral fluorine atoms. Covariance mapping of the charged fragments allows us to distinguish between the various possible dissociation mechanisms that could account for these products.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Les Hill, Peter Fair, Andy Green, Howard Lambourne, Kevin Valentine, Tim Powell, John Adams, and Philip Hurst, of Oxford Chemistry's Electronics and Mechanical Workshops, for assisting us in recent upgrades to the electron-molecule crossed-beam instrument which made the present work possible.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Data availability statement
The data files are available on request by contacting the corresponding author.
Notes
1 In the case of CF, the distribution is actually trimodal, but the third peak is of such low intensity relative to the first two that it appears bimodal.