Distinguishing Mechanisms for Reactive Uptake at Liquid Surfaces via Angular Distributions of Inelastically Scattered Molecules.

ABSTRACT: Angular distributions of OH inelastically scattered from the surfaces of the reactive hydrocarbon liquids squalane (fully saturated) and squalene (partially unsaturated) have been measured. A pulsed, rotationally cold molecular beam (E_i = 35 kJ mol^-1) of OH was scattered from refreshed liquid surfaces in a vacuum. Spatially and temporally resolved OH number densities were measured by pulsed, planar laser-induced fluorescence. Results are compared with those for the inert liquid perfluoropolyether. The clearly asymmetric distributions for 45° incidence add to the weight of evidence for predominantly impulsive scattering from all three liquids. However, we propose that significant differences in their shapes may be diagnostic of contrasting reaction mechanisms. D

SUBMITTER: Roman MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11229065 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature