Inner shell electron energy loss studies of HCN and C2N2

Small angle inelastic scattering of electrons with several kilovolts impact energy has been used to study carbon and nitrogen K-shell excitation and ionization of HCN and C2N2. The observed energy loss structures are assigned to promotions of K-shell electrons to valence and Rydberg orbitals. High resolution spectra (<100 meV fwhm) of the most intense inner shell transitions in HCN are reported. Excitation and ionization energies of the radicals HN2 and HCO are derived from the HCN inner shell spectra using the equivalent core analogy.