Gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of metal-carbide cations MCn+ (M=Y and La; n=2, 4, and 6) with benzene and cyclohexane investigated by FTICR mass spectrometry and DFT calculations

Yttrium- and lanthanum-carbide cluster cations YC n + and LaC n + (n = 2, 4, and 6) are generated by laser ablation of carbonaceous material containing Y 2 O 3 or La 2 O 3 . YC 2 + , YC 4 + , LaC 2 + , LaC 4 + , and LaC 6 + are selected to undergo gas-phase ion-molecule reactions with benzene and cyclohexane. The FTICR mass spectrometry study shows that the reactions of YC 2 + and LaC 2 + with benzene produce three main series of cluster ions. They are in the form of M(C 6 H 4 )(C 6 H 6 ) n + , M(C 8 H 4 )(C 6 H 6 ) n + , and M(C 8 H 6 )(C 6 H 6 ) m + (M = Y and La; n = 0-3; m = 0-2). For YC 4 + , LaC 4 + , and LaC 6 + , benzene addition products in the form of MC n (C 6 H 6 ) m + (M = Y and La; n = 4, 6; m = 1, 2) are observed. In the reaction with cyclohexane, all the metal-carbide cluster ions are observed to form metal-benzene complexes M(C 6 H 6 ) n + (M = Y and La; n = 1-3). Collision-induced-dissociation experiments were performed on the major reaction product ions, and the different levels of energy required for the fragmentation suggest that both covalent bonding and weak electrostatic interaction exist in these organometallic complexes. Several major product ions were calculated using DFT theory, and their ground-state geometries and energies were obtained.