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Mass spectrometry

He tagging maps copper cluster ion shapes

Lushchikova OV, Gatchell M, Reichegger J, et al. · Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP · 2023

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

Helium nanodroplet mass spectrometry of 63Cu clusters shows magic He shells that match computed binding sites, including twisted-X Cu5+.

Study at a glance

Design
Computational / modelling — He nanodroplet mass spectra of Cu clusters compared with MP2 He-binding calculations
N
Gas-phase cluster experiment plus theory — no sample N
Population
Copper cluster ions solvated by helium in nanodroplets
Outcome
Magic-number structures and He-shell closing around Cu_n^+/−

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

Key findings

Cu+ closes a shell at 6 He (octahedron). Cu5+ is the smallest 3D cluster, twisted-X, with a strong m = 4 magic number (~70 meV above a bipyramid). Anions bind more He at similar pressures.

Methodology

Authors ionized He nanodroplets, picked up monoisotopic 63Cu, evaporated with He gas, and compared magic He_mCu_n^+/− intensities with MP2 He-binding calculations.

Limitations

Structures are inferred from tagging, not a crystal; large-m magic numbers are noisy; anions have isobaric impurity risks at m = 7, 9.

How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • SupportsMass spectrometryconcept

    This library holds 5 empirical chemistry papers on mass spectrometry with isolated findings, rates or spectra rather than reviews.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsMass spectrometryconcept

    Helium nanodroplet mass spectrometry of 63Cu clusters shows magic He shells that match computed binding sites, including twisted-X Cu5+.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsMass spectrometryconcept

    Soft ionisation preserves complexes that harsh ionisation destroys; imaging spatial resolution and native versus denaturing conditions are different experiments.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

Open questions

Tensions this paper is part of

From concept pages' “where studies disagree.” Disagreement means the same question; scope means different assays, populations, or outcomes.

  • Scope difference — different assays, populations, or outcomes

    Soft ionisation preserves complexes that harsh ionisation destroys; imaging spatial resolution and native versus denaturing conditions are different experiments.

    Also on this tension

Related papers in this topic

Same topic cluster — not a recommendation engine.