Gas phase ion-molecule reactions of monogermane with oxygen and ammonia

High pressure and Fourier transform mass spectrometry have been used to study the ion-molecule reactions of germanium-containing ions with oxygen, ammonia, and GeH4 itself. The effects of the total pressure and of the ratio between GeH4 and oxygen or ammonia are reported. In self-condensation reactions the most reactive species are Ge+ and GeH2P+, which give dimer ions containing an even number of hydrogen atoms. Formation of GeHnO2+ (n = 0, 1) and GeHnO+ (n = 0-3) ions is observed in GeH4/O2 mixture. The most abundant species is GeHO+, which originates in the reaction of Ge2H2+ with one O2 molecule, as demonstrated by FTMS. High pressure experiments suggest that oxygen-containing ions are also formed by pathways involving monogermanium ions. Analogous behaviour is observed in the GeH4/NH3 mixtures, where GeNHn+ (n = 2, 3, 4, 6) ions are formed in higher abundances than GeHO+ (n = 1-3) ions under similar conditions.