Scandium-sulfide binary cluster ions were produced by direct laser ablation and analysed by a time-of-flight mass spectroscope. The scandium-sulfide binary cluster ions are consisted of a binary skeleton and peripheral sulfur atoms. The "bear" skeleton (Sc2S3)n is the kernel of the clusters. The relative stable series of the positive cluster ions are ScS(Sc2S3)n^+ and Sc2S2(Sc2S3)n^+ (n=0, 1, 2, ...14). The relative stable series of negative ions are ScS2(Sc2S3)n^-, S3(Sc2S3)n^- and (Sc2S3)n^- (n=0, 1, 2, ...14). The number of the peripheral sulfur atoms around skeleton increases if the sulfur-rich sample is used. These peripheral sulfur atoms are easy to be stripped in photodissociation, losing S2, S4 and S6. Through the analysis, we supposed that the structure of this kind of Sc-S cluster was cage like.

Key words: SULFUR, SCANDIUM, CAGE STRUCTURE, PHOTOLYSIS, TIME-OFF FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETRY