Ion identity and transport properties in CO2 over a wide pressure range

TLDR: In this paper, the identity and transport properties of ions formed in CO2 gas at pressures ranging from 10−4 to 762 torr were investigated in drift tube mass spectrometers.

Abstract: We have investigated in drift tube mass spectrometers the identity and the transport properties of ions formed in CO2 gas at pressures ranging from 10−4 to 762 torr. Under bombardment by low energy (20–100 eV) electrons in the ion source, the primary positive ion is predominantly CO+2, with traces of C+, O+, and CO+. The predominant ion becomes O+2 at pressures above 100 μ (0.1 torr), and clustering of CO2 molecules to the O2+ occurs even at pressures below 1 torr. Break‐up of the clusters also occurs, the ion identity changing many times in the drift region. The zero‐field reduced mobility of the O+2⋅ (CO2)n charge carrier is a function of pressure, and varies from (1.30±0.03) cm2/V⋅sec at 0.2 torr to (1.18±0.03) cm2/V⋅sec at 1 torr. The sole negative ion produced directly by the electron bombardment is O−, which clusters to form the stable ion CO−3, whose reduced mobility is (1.27±0.06) cm2/V⋅sec for E/N ?60 Td at all pressures below 1 torr. At much higher pressures and under somewhat different conditio...