Reactions of copper cluster cations with nitrous oxide: Oxidation and sequential N2O adsorption

Reactions of size-selected copper cluster cations, Cu n + (n = 3–7) and Cu n O m + (n = 3–5; m = 1 and 2), with nitrous oxide molecules, N2O, have been investigated by use of a tandem mass spectrometer. N2O molecules adsorb sequentially on the odd-sized Cu n + to produce Cu n + (N2O)l, while the even-sized clusters give the reaction products, such as Cu n - 1 O + (N2O)l, involving both the oxidation and the N2O adsorption. Preadsorption of oxygen atoms promotes the sequential N2O-adsorption significantly, and in particular, Cu 3 O + (N2O)3, Cu 4 O 2 + (N2O)3, and Cu 5 O 2 + (N2O)4 are produced dominantly from Cu 3 O + , Cu 4 O 2 + , and Cu 5 O 2 + , which shows the saturation of the adsorption with N2O.