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
[Phys. Chem.
Chem. Phys.2018207746]. 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.