Laser ablation of NaN3 and CsN3.

Solid sodium azide and cesium azide crystals were irradiated by high power laser pulses; the ablation products were rapidly cooled by a supersonic expansion of helium and detected by a time of flight mass spectrometer. Neutral and positively charged species were separately recorded and analyzed using ¹⁵N isotopomers to help in their assignment. Cluster series of the sequences Na(NaN₃)_n [or Cs(CsN₃)_n] were observed, as well as clusters containing NaOH and NaCN; the origin of the C, H, and O atoms appears to be water and CO₂ occluded in the salt. Addition of D₂O increased the intensity of large clusters and added deuterated ones, whereas addition of chloroform leads to formation of clusters of a Na atom with (NaCl)_n clusters. Possible mechanisms for the formation of these clusters are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]