Ricerc@Sapienza

The effect of intermolecular H-bonding interactions on the local electronic structure of N-containing functional groups (amino group and pyridine-like N) that are characteristic of polymeric carbon nitride materials p-CN(H), a new class of metal-free organophotocatalysts, was investigated. Specifically, the melamine molecule, a building block of p-CN(H), was characterized by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The molecule was studied as a noninteracting system in the gas phase and in the solid state within a H-bonded network.

A gas-phase investigation of the D-fructose dehydration reaction in the presence of base has been performed by the joint application of mass spectrometric techniques and theoretical calculations. Protonated addition products of D-fructose and base were generated in the gas phase by electrospray ionization using several bases of different proton affinity. The intermediates, products and decomposition channels were investigated by ion trap mass spectrometry.