Relationship between structure and reactivity for metal clusters formed in ion-molecule reactions in decacarbonyldirhenium.

Two reaction pathways are discussed to account for the production of the resulting cluster ions, Re(n) (CO)(+)(m), where n=10 and m=29 have been identified by exact mass measurements and their relative rate constants determined. Rate constants decrease with increasing n and are well correlated with the average electron deficiency per metal atom within a cluster.