It has been known that photoionization of ethylene glycol
generates protonated methanol when the ionization energy is in the
vicinity of the vertical ionization energy. Although two different
isomerization paths have been proposed for the protonated methanol
production, the isomerization path has not yet been identified. To
investigate the isomerization of ionized ethylene glycol, infrared (IR)
predissociation spectroscopy based on vacuum ultraviolet photoionization
is carried out for neutral and cationic ethylene glycol and
partially deuterated isotopomer (HOCD
2CD
2OH). The IR spectroscopic
results indicate that ionized ethylene glycol isomerizes to the
protonated methanol. HCO complex, and the isomerization path
involving the double proton transfer is identified. This isomerization
path is also supported by the theoretical isomerization path search, which demonstrates that several reaction pathways are
mutually intercommunicated.