Experimental Confirmation of SrF(CHF) and SrF(HO)(CHF) Cluster Ions Generated in the Reaction-cell of ICP-QMS/QMS.

Multiple unknown high-order cluster ions were observed as the results of ion-molecule reactions between strontium ions and fluoromethane molecules in the reaction-cell of an inductively coupled plasma tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (ICP-QMS/QMS). In order to elucidate the structures of these unknown cluster ions, isotope-enriched fluoromethane (CDF) was used as the reaction-cell gas compared to natural fluoromethane (CHF). As results, SrF(CHF) and SrF(HO)(CHF) cluster ions were experimentally confirmed in the present work, while SrF(HO)(CHF) cluster ions in the reaction-cell of ICP-QMS/QMS were observed and confirmed for the first time in the world.