Isomer-specific product formation in the proton transfer reaction of HOCO+ with CO

The proton transfer reaction HOCO++CO → HCO+/HOC+ has been studied using crossed-beam velocity map imaging. Angular and energy differential cross sections were obtained for collision energies from 0.3 to 2.3 eV. Scattering in forward direction together with a prominent scattering angle-dependent internal excitation is found at all collision energies. The exothermic HCO+ product appears to be very dominant even at energies above the energy threshold for the formation of metastable HOC+ ion. To determine the HOC+ contribution for different angular ranges, a model has been developed. We obtain an upper limit for the HOC+ product isomer fraction of <2%. In theoretical calculations, we find the CO2-catalysed isomerisation channel to be energetically accessible. However, it may not have a strong impact on the isomer ratio. Chemical dynamics simulations are needed to shed more light on this question.