Laser desorption ionisation (LDI) quadrupole ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometric study of
                            (WO[3])[n] clusters formation in gas phase

                              Mayuri Ausekar, Ravi Mawale, Josef Havel

                                    E-mail: 441691@mail.muni.cz

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5/A14, 625 00 Brno, Czech
                                             Republic


Tungsten oxide (WO[3]) exhibits wide range of applications in biomedicine, cosmetics, electronics,
coatings and plastics, catalysis, etc. [1]. Laser desorption ionization and quadrupole ion trap
time of flight mass spectrometry (LDI-QIT-TOF-MS) is important and suitable tool to study formation
of clusters in gas phase [2-3].

In this work using LDI and/or MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation) of WO[3 ](while
using carbonaceous matrices such as nanodiamonds or C[60 ]fullerene) the formation of tungsten
oxide clusters in gas phase was followed. Mass spectra in negative ion mode were more complex than
in positive one. Mostly, (WO[3])[n]^- (n=1-17) clusters were observed. This series of WO[3]
clusters is different from that one described by Singh et. al. [2]. In addition, some other
W[x]O[y]^+/-clusters with lower or higher number of oxygens were also detected and only traces of
WC clusters were observed.

References:

[1] H. Zheng, J. Z. Ou, M. S. Strano, R. B. Kaner, A. Mitchell, K. Kalantar-Zadeh. Adv. Funct.
Mater. 2011, 21, 2175–2196.

[2] D. M. D. J. Singh, T. Pradeep, K. Tirumoorthy, K. Balasubramanian. J. Phys. Chem. 2010, 114,
5445-5452.

[3] Ravi Madhukar Mawale, Mayuri Vilas Ausekar, David Pavliňák, Oleksandr Galmiz, Pavel Kubáček,
Josef Havel. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2016, 1-9. Article is accepted online.