15min:

G. E. DOUBERLY, B. W. TICKNOR, A. M. RICKS AND M. A. DUNCAN, Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602.

Protonated molecular clusters such as (H₂O)_nH⁺, (CO₂)_nH⁺, and (C₂H₂)_nH⁺ are formed in a pulsed electric discharge of a supersonic expansion. The ions are mass selected and fragmented upon resonant vibrational excitation with the output of a tunable infrared OPO. The infrared spectra of these species provide valuble insight into the dynamics of the solvated proton.