A theoretical and experimental investigation of the formation of S-2(-) from CS2 by electron impact

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the formation of S-2(-) from CS2 by electron impact has been carried out. Molecular orbital calculations show that some of the low lying states of CS2- have lower potential energy in the bent geometries suggesting a transformation in the geometric structure of the precursor molecular ion, leading to the formation of S-2(-). In contrast to the formation of S- and CS-, the kinetic energy associated with S-2(-) is small and disproportionate to the increase in electron energy, indicating the formation of S-2(-) in vibrationally excited states due to the mechanism of its formation.