Bimolecular production of gas phase ionic hydrates by ion cyclotron resonance spectroscopy

The gas phase ion–molecule reactions of α,α,α′,α′ tetrafluorodimethyl ether both alone and in mixtures with water have been examined. The dominant feature of the ion chemistry of these mixtures is the sequential bimolecular production of the hydrated hydronium ion, H5O2+. Two independent mechanistic pathways for production of H5O2+ are outlined arising from reaction of H3O+ with (CF2H)2O and from CF2H—O=CHF+ with H2O. Implications for examination of solvent switching equilibria are discussed.