Mechanistic aspects of ionic reactions in flames

Some fundamentals of the ion chemistry of flames are summarized. Mechanistic aspects of ionic reactions in flame have been studied using a VG PlasmaQuad, the ICP-system being substituted by a simple quartz burner. Simple hydrocarbon flames as well as sulfur-containing flames have been investigated. The simple hydrocarbon flames are dominated by a series of hydrocarbonic ions and, to a minor extent, protonated oxo-compounds. The introduction of sulfur to the flames leads to significant changes in the ion composition, as sulfur-containing species become dominant. The ability of the technique to study highly reactive species is discussed.