Photoinduced Reactions in Complexes Consisting of a Magnesium Cation and Methyl Halide Molecules Mg+(XCH3)n

The metal cation Mg⁺ and methyl halide molecules CH₃X were linked through long-range forces to form Mg⁺(XCH₃)_n. Photoexcitation of Mg⁺ in the complexes gave rise to unusual reactions. We measured the relative yield of the products as a function of the excitation wavelength for several complexes in a broad spectral region. While photoexcitation of the cationic complex Mg⁺FCH₃ produced exclusively MgF and CH⁺₃, more channels are open in the photo-reaction of Mg⁺CICH₃. Surprisingly, when n > 1, the photoexcitation of Mg⁺(FCH₃)_n led to the predominant formation of the bare MgF⁺ and/or its solvated variant.