Dehydrogenation of gaseous hydrogen-containing molecules: The formation of elemental and molecular clusters

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.49.2739· OSTI ID:5302706

Chen, Z Y; Walder, G J; Castleman, Jr, A W ^[1]

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1. Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 (United States)

A general concept employing the dehydrogenation of hydrogen-containing organic and inorganic compounds is shown to readily affect the production of a wide variety of elemental and binary clusters. Hydrogen-containing molecules such as C[sub 2]H[sub 4], NH[sub 3], SiH[sub 4], H[sub 2]S, or H[sub 2]O, are introduced into an extremely energetic plasma generated from laser irradiation of a metal surface; this plasma dehydrogenates the molecules to produce nascent C, N, Si, S, and O atoms. These C, N, Si, S, and O atoms can react with metal atoms or ions contained in the plasma and form metallocarbohedrenes or metal-carbide, metal-nitride, metal-silicide, metal-sulfide, or metal-oxide clusters. Alternatively, individual constituents may associate to produce pure elemental clusters such as those comprised of carbon or silicon. In principle, this technique can be applied to all gaseous hydrogen-containing compounds. The results of the present study provide an alternative way (in some cases it could be the only feasible way) to generate clusters of these materials. Study of the ensuing distributions provides unique insight into the cluster-formation mechanisms involving this type of cluster source.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-92ER14258
• OSTI ID: 5302706
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 49:4; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CARBIDES
DECOMPOSITION
MASS SPECTRA
OXIDATION
FULLERENES
HAFNIUM COMPOUNDS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
NITRIDES
OXIDES
SCANDIUM COMPOUNDS
SILICIDES
SULFIDES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TUNGSTEN COMPOUNDS
VANADIUM COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
ATOMIC CLUSTERS
MOLECULAR CLUSTERS
CARBON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTRA
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
400201* - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
360200 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories