Gas‐phase solvation of NO⁺, O⁺₂, N₂O⁺, N₂OH⁺, and H₃O⁺ with N₂O

Gas‐phase clustering reactions of NO⁺, O⁺₂, N₂O⁺, N₂OH⁺, and H₃O⁺ with N₂O were measured with a pulsed electron‐beam high pressure mass spectrometer. The bond in NO⁺(N₂O)_n is found to be electrostatic, while those in O⁺₂(N₂O)₁, N₂O⁺(N₂O)₁, and N₂OH⁺(N₂O)₁ have covalent character. The observed n dependence of −ΔH⁰_n−1,n for the clustering reactions suggests that the cluster ions have the structures of the core ion plus ligand molecules, i.e., NO⁺(N₂O)₃(N₂O)_n−3, O⁺₂N₂O(N₂O)_n−1, (N₂O)⁺₂(N₂O)_n−1, H⁺N₂O(N₂O)₁(N₂O)_n−1, and H₃O⁺(N₂O)₃(N₂O)_n−3. The N₂O molecule forms stronger bonds with NO⁺, O⁺₂, and H₃O⁺ ions than the isoelectronic CO₂ molecule, indicating that N₂O is a stronger nucleophilic reagent than CO₂.