Gas phase synthesis of 4d transition metal carbonyl complexes with thermalized fission fragments in single-atom reactions

The formation of carbonyl complexes using atom-at-a-time quantities of short-lived transition metals from fusion and fission reactions was reported in 2012. Numerous studies focussing on this chemical system, which is also applicable for the superheavy elements followed. We report on a novel two-chamber approach for the synthesis of such complexes that allows spatial decoupling of thermalization and gas-phase carbonyl complex synthesis. Neutron induced fission on 235U and spontaneous fission of 248Cm were employed for the production of the fission products. These were stopped inside a gas volume behind the target and flushed with an inert-gas flow into a second chamber. This was flushed with carbon monoxide to allow the gas-phase synthesis of carbonyl complexes. Parameter studies of the transfer from the first into the second chamber as well as on the carbonyl complex formation and transport processes have been performed. High overall efficiencies of more than 50% were reached rendering this approach interesting for studies of superheavy elements. Our results show that carbonyl complex formation of thermalized fission products is a single-atom reaction, and not a hot-atom reaction.