Photodissociation of Gas-Phase Ions Investigated Using Combined Mass-Spectrometry, Ion- Mobility and Laser Spectroscopy

The photophysics and photochemistry of molecules are dependent on the interplay between multiple quantum states, which is challenging to model and especially challenging to control. This lack of control impedes development of photoinitiators, phototherapies and next-generation mass spectrometry tools. In this thesis, the influence of charge on the photodissociation of gas-phase ions is investigated using combined ion-mobility (field asymmetric ion-mobility spectrometry), photodissociation action spectroscopy and massspectrometry techniques along with quantum chemistry methods. Target molecules range from fundamental chromophores, photoinitiators and biologically relevant ions.