English

Selective Bond-Breaking in Formic Acid by Dissociative Electron Attachment

Chemical Physics 2020-07-02 v1

Abstract

We report the results of a joint experimental {and} theoretical study of dissociative electron attachment to formic acid (HCOOH) in the 6-9 eV region, where H^- fragment ions are a dominant product. Breaking of the CH and OH bonds is distinguished experimentally by deuteration of either site. We show that in this region H^- ions can be produced by formation of two {or possibly three} Feshbach resonance (doubly-excited anion) states, one of which leads to either C-H or O-H bond scission, while the other can only produce formyloxyl radicals by O-H bond scission. Comparison of experimental and theoretical angular distributions of the anion fragment allows the elucidation of state specific pathways to dissociation.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2003.09752,
  title  = {Selective Bond-Breaking in Formic Acid by Dissociative Electron Attachment},
  author = {D. S. Slaughter and Th. Weber and A. Belkacem and C. S. Trevisan and R. R. Lucchese and C. W. McCurdy and T. N. Rescigno},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2003.09752},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

11 pages, 13 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-23T14:22:44.547Z