Low-Energy Electron Capture by 6-Aza-2-thiothymine: Investigations by Electron Attachment and Electron Transmission Spectroscopies

The interaction of low-energy (0-10 eV) electrons with 6-aza-2-thiothymine is investigated in the gas phase by studies of sharp structure in the total electron scattering cross section and by mass analysis of the stable or long-lived negative ions produced by electron attachment. The most efficient fragmentation process, occurring at 0.15 eV, involves the ejection of a closed-shell neutral molecule (CH3CN). Ab initio calculations support our proposal that this process leads to ring closure to form a stable four-member heterocyclic anion. A long-lived parent anion with an approximate lifetime of 75 microseconds is observed near zero electron energy, and evidence is also seen for the slow decay of this anion by ejection of CH3CN. Near 3.3 eV, an anion of m/e 41 is produced that is likely to be a metastable valence anion of bent CH3CN, but the dipole-bound anion cannot be ruled out.