VUV spectroscopy of an electron irradiated benzene : carbon dioxide interstellar ice analogue. Issue 10 (13th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: James, Rachel L.; Jones, Nykola C.; Hoffmann, Søren V.; Dawes, Anita
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 9:Issue 10(2019)
• Page Start: 5453
• Page End: 5459
• Publication Date: 2019-02-13
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00462a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : We present the first vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic study of an interstellar ice analogue of a benzene (C6 H6 ) : carbon dioxide (CO2 ) (1 : 100) mixture which has been energetically processed with 1 keV electrons. Abstract : We present the first vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic study of an interstellar ice analogue of a 1 : 100 benzene (C6 H6 ) : carbon dioxide (CO2 ) mixture which has been energetically processed with 1 keV electrons. We have exploited the fact that benzene has a relatively high photoabsorption cross section in the vacuum ultraviolet region to study this dilute mixture of benzene. Before irradiation with 1 keV electrons, we observed that the benzene electronic transition bands in the C6 H6 : CO2 mixture exhibits a blueshift in band position towards energies observed in the gas-phase compared with that of pure, amorphous benzene and we have attributed this to a matrix isolation effect. After irradiation, a lowering in intensity of both the carbon dioxide and benzene electronic transition bands was observed, as well as the formation of the small irradiation product, carbon monoxide. A residue was obtained at 200 K which showed characteristic features of the benzene electronic transition of 1 E1u ← 1 A1g, but with additional structure suggesting the formation of a benzene derivative.