Functional group dependent dissociative electron attachment to simple organic molecules

Abstract

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) cross sections for simple organic molecules, namely, acetic acid, propanoic acid, methanol, ethanol, and n-propyl amine are measured in a crossed beam experiment. We find that the H⁻ ion formation is the dominant channel of DEA for these molecules and takes place at relatively higher energies (>4 eV) through the core excited resonances. Comparison of the cross sections of the H⁻ channel from these molecules with those from NH₃, H₂O, and CH₄ shows the presence of functional group dependence in the DEA process. We analyze this new phenomenon in the context of the results reported on other organic molecules. This discovery of functional group dependence has important implications such as control in electron induced chemistry and understanding radiation induced damage in biological systems.