Ionospheric Electron Capture Capacity of Cholromethanes: A Simulation and Experimental Study

The electron capture capacity of the cholromethanes, including but not limited to CCl₂H₂, CH₃Cl and CCl₄, was mathematically modeled, numerically simulated in density functional theory (DFT) with Gaussian-09 software and experimentally evaluated with gas chromatograph electron capture detector (GC-ECD). The simulated and measured results were found to be in good agreement. To be specific, the strong electron absorption capacity of the three types of cholromethane could be listed in an ascending order:CCl₂H₂< CCl₃H < CCl₄, that is, CCl₂H₂ and CCl₄ have the weakest and the strongest electron capture capacities, respectively, in the ionosphere among the three chemicals. We suggest that chloromethanes may be a promising material for ionospheric disturbance.