Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.124, No.19, 3859-3864, 2020
Infrared Photodissociation Spectroscopy of Mass-Selected Cu2O2(CO)(n)(+) Clusters in the Gas Phase
Stoichiometric Cu2O2(CO)(n)(+) (n = 3-7) clusters were generated via a laser vaporization supersonic cluster source in the gas phase and identified by infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the C-O stretching region. The infrared spectra were interpreted, and the cluster structures were determined by density functional calculations. The ground states of the Cu2O2(CO)(n)(+) complexes were formed by a dicopper superoxide carbonyl with [(OC)(x)CuOOCu(CO)(y)](+) (x + y = n) structures in which the CO ligands coordinate a zigzag Cu(OO)Cu+ core. The structural characterization for the Cu(OO)Cu+ core-based clusters is crucial in order to correctly understand the associated reactions catalyzed by metal clusters.