Translationally cold trapped CCl+ reactions with acetylene (C2H2)

Ion-neutral chemical reactions are important in several areas of chemistry, including in some regions of the interstellar medium, planetary atmospheres, and comets. Reactions of CCl+ with C2H2 are measured and the main products include c-C3H2+ and l-C3H+, both relevant in extraterrestrial environments. Accurate branching ratios are obtained, which favor formation of c-C3H2+ over l-C3H+ by a factor of four. Measured rate constants are on the order of Langevin and complementary electronic structure calculations are used to aid in the interpretation of experimental results.