Interaction of Slow Electrons with Thermally Evaporated Manganese(II) Acetylacetonate Complexes

Complexes of metal acetylacetonate are used as general precursors for the synthesis of metal oxide nanomaterials. In the present work, we study the interaction of low-energy (<10 eV) electrons, produced abundantly as secondary electrons during the bombardment of the substrate by the primary particles, with thermally evaporated manganese­(II) acetylacetonate complexes. We found that the acetylacetonate anion ([acac]⁻) is the major anionic species produced, while the second most abundant is the parent anion [Mn­(II)­(acac)₂]⁻. This observation differs from those reported from electron attachment to Cu­(acac)₂, for which [Cu­(II)­(acac)₂]⁻ is the predominant anion [Kopyra et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2018, 20, 7746]. The experimental data are supported by theory to provide information on the physical-chemistry processes initiated by slow electrons to the organometallic precursor and to interpret the different behavior of Mn­(acac)₂ compared to Cu­(acac)₂.