Gas‐Phase Chemistry of Vanadium Oxide Cluster Cations VmOn+ (m = 1–4; n = 1–10) with Water and Molecular Oxygen

Bare vanadium oxide cluster cations VmOn+ (m = 1–4; n =1–10) generated by electrospray ionization are investigated with respect to their reactivity toward water and molecular oxygen by using mass spectrometric techniques. Besides ion hydration, the ion/molecule reactions of VmOn+ with oxygen-labeled water (H218O) also lead to 16O/18O exchange reactions of the vanadium oxide clusters cations. Although the probability of degenerate 16O/18O exchange between VmOn+ and water is fairly high for the cluster cations with a medium valence state of vanadium, oxygen-atom exchange reactions between VmOn+ and 18O2 can only be accomplished by VO+, V3O6+, and V4O8+. Particularly interesting is the fact that not only oxygen atoms from vanadyl units are exchanged in the cluster cations, but bridging oxygen atoms are also most likely involved in the processes. Other reaction channels for the interaction of VmOn+ cluster cations with molecular oxygen are reported as well, such as oxidative degradation of the low-valent cluster cations upon collision with O2 and formation of association complexes for the high-valent cluster cations. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)