The adiabatic ionization potentials of phenol and phenol‐(H2O) have been obtained from pump–probe photoionization threshold measurements in a supersonic molecular beam time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer. The observed photoionization thresholds were found to vary linearly with the square root of the ion‐extraction electric field over fields ranging from 27 to 500 V/cm. Extrapolations to zero field yields IPs of 68 623±10 cm1 for phenol and 64 035±10 cm1 for phenol‐(H2O). Thus, hydrogen bonding to one water molecule lowers the ionization potential of phenol by 4590±15 cm1. The advantages of this technique of measuring ionization potentials are discussed.

1.
R. J.
Lipert
and
Steven D.
Colson
,
J. Chem. Phys.
89
,
4579
(
1988
).
2.
H. A. Bethe and E. E. Salpeter, Quantum Mechanics of One‐ and Two‐Electron Atoms (Plenum, New York, 1977).
3.
See, for example,
T. W.
Ducas
,
M. G.
Littman
,
R. R.
Freeman
, and
D.
Kleppner
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
35
,
366
(
1975
).
4.
M. A.
Duncan
,
T. G.
Dietz
, and
R. E.
Smalley
,
J. Chem. Phys.
75
,
2118
(
1981
).
5.
K. H.
Fung
,
H. L.
Selzle
, and
E. W.
Schlag
,
Z. Naturforsch.
36A
,
1257
(
1981
).
6.
L. A.
Chewter
,
M.
Sander
,
K.
Müller‐Dethlefs
, and
E. W.
Schlag
,
J. Chem. Phys.
86
,
4737
(
1987
).
7.
J.
Lemaire
,
I.
Dimicoli
,
F.
Piuzzi
, and
R.
Botter
,
Chem. Phys.
115
,
119
(
1987
).
8.
E. Y.
Xu
,
H.
Helm
, and
R.
Kachru
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
59
,
1096
(
1987
).
9.
L. A.
Chewter
,
K.
Müller‐Dethlefs
, and
E. W.
Schlag
,
Chem. Phys. Lett.
135
,
219
(
1987
).
10.
M.
Sander
,
L. A.
Chewter
,
K.
Müller‐Dethlefs
, and
E. W.
Schlag
,
Phys. Rev. A
36
,
4543
(
1987
).
11.
G.
Reiser
,
W.
Habernicht
,
K.
Müller‐Dethlefs
, and
E. W.
Schlag
,
Chem. Phys. Lett.
152
,
119
(
1988
).
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.