Sequential addition of $H2O$⁠, $CH3OH$⁠, and $NH3$ to $Al3O3−$⁠: A theoretical study

Photoelectron spectra of two species, $Al3O3(H2O)2−$ and $Al3O3(CH3OH)2−$⁠, that are produced by the addition of two water or methanol molecules to $Al3O3−$ are interpreted with density-functional geometry optimizations and electron propagator calculations of vertical electron detachment energies. In both cases, there is only one isomer that is responsible for the observed spectral features. A high barrier to the addition of a second molecule may impede the formation of $Al3O3N2H6−$ clusters in an analogous experiment with $NH3$⁠.