Origin band of the first photoionizing transition of hydrogen isocyanide

The photoelectron spectrum of the X1Σ+ → X+2Σ+ ionizing transition of hydrogen isocyanide (HNC) is measured for the first time at a fixed photon energy (13 eV). The assignment of the spectrum is supported by wave-packet calculations simulating the photoionization transition spectrum and using ab initio calculations of the potential energy surfaces for the three lowest electronic states of the cation. The photoelectron spectrum allows the retrieval of the fundamental of the CN stretching mode of the cationic ground state ([small nu, Greek, tilde]3 = 2260 ± 80 cm-1) and the adiabatic ionization energy of hydrogen isocyanide: IE(HNC) = 12.011 ± 0.010 eV, which is far below that of HCN (IE(HCN) = 13.607 eV). In light of this latter result, the thermodynamics of the HCN+/HNC+ isomers is discussed and a short summary of the values available in the literature is given.

Synthesis of N-unsubstituted cycloalkylimines containing a 4 to 8-membered ring

Primary cycloalkylimines with a 4 to 8-membered ring have been synthesized by dehydrocyanation of the corresponding α-aminonitriles.

Reduction of C[double bond, length as m-dash]O functional groups through H addition reactions: a comparative study between H2CO + H, CH3CH2CHO + H and CH3OCHO + H under interstellar conditions

H-addition reactions on the icy interstellar grains may play an important role in the formation of complex organic molecules. In the present work we propose a comparative study of H2CO + H, CH3CH2CHO + H and CH3OCHO + H solid state reactions at 10 K under interstellar conditions in order to characterize the main reaction pathways involved in the hydrogenation of a CHO functional group. We show that the most probable mechanism for the formation of alcohols under non-energetic conditions through the saturation of the CHO group corresponds to the attachment of the H atom to the CH group with noticeable variations of the energy barriers for each studied reaction. These energy barriers have been calculated to be 8.3, 14.6 and 32.7 kJ mol-1 for H2CO + H, CH3CH2CHO + H and CH3OCHO + H, respectively. The coupling of the experimental and theoretical analysis proves that while the simplest aldehyde, formaldehyde, is easily reduced to methanol, methylformate and propanal behave differently under H-bombardments but they cannot be a source of alcohol formation through H-addition reactions. Consequently, for the formation of alcohols larger than CH3OH, other chemical pathways should be taken into account, probably energetic processing such as the photolysis of interstellar ice analogues containing C-, H- and O-bearing compounds or the coupling of the H-addition reaction and photon-irradiation on species with a CHO functional group.

Synthesis and Electronic Phosphorescence of Dicyanooctatetrayne (NC10N) in Cryogenic Matrixes

The rodlike 1,8-dicyano-octa-1,3,5,7-tetrayne (NC₁₀N) molecule was synthesized with UV-assisted coupling of rare-gas matrix-isolated cyanobutadiyne (HC₅N) molecules. Detection of NC₁₀N molecule was possible due to its strong orange-red (origin at 618 nm) electronic luminescence. Excitation spectra of this emission (ã ³Σ_u⁺-X̃ ¹Σ_g⁺ phosphorescence) gave access to studying the fully allowed H̃ ¹Σ_u⁺-X̃ ¹Σ_g⁺ UV system of NC₁₀N. The identification of observed spectral features was assisted with quantum chemical computations. Certain regularities shaping the electronic spectroscopy of NC_{2 n}N molecules have been discussed.

Isoselenocyanates versus Isothiocyanates and Isocyanates

Alkyl and aryl isoselenocyanates are well known intermediates in the synthesis of various organoselenium compounds, but the knowledge of the physicochemical properties of simple unsaturated derivatives is still fragmentary. Vinyl-, 2-propenyl-, and cyclopropyl isoselenocyanates have been prepared by reaction of selenium in powder with the corresponding isocyanides. The isoselenocyanates of this series, with a variable distance between the N═C═Se group and the unsaturated or pseudounsaturated group, have been studied by UV-photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. For each of these three isoselenocyanates, the exploration of conformers and geometrical optimization always converge toward only one local minimum. The vinyl and cyclopropyl derivatives are characterized by similar order of magnitude of interactions between the NCSe group and the substituent, while for allylic compound two noninteracting moieties should be considered. The same conclusions were obtained for vinylic and cyclopropylic sulfur and oxygen derivatives. Thus the type and extent of interactions between the N═C═X (X = O, S, Se) group and an unsaturated (vinyl, allyl, or cyclopropyl) moiety are now clarified.

Internal Rotation of OH Group in 4-Hydroxy-2-butynenitrile Studied by Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy

Cyanoacetylene, HCC-CN is a ubiquitous molecule in the Universe. However, its interstellar chemistry is not well understood and its understanding requires laboratory data including rotational spectroscopy of possible products coming from a reaction with another compounds. In this study we present the first spectroscopic characterization of gauche conformation of 4-hydroxy-2-butynenitrile (HOCH₂CCCN), a formal adduct of cyanoacetylene on formaldehyde, in the frequency range up to 500 GHz. The analysis of the rotational spectrum was complicated by internal rotation of the OH group that connects two equivalent gauche configurations. The spectral assignment was aided by high-level quantum chemical calculations that were particularly useful in the interpretation of torsional-rotational part of the problem. The applied reduced-axis-system (RAS) formalism allowed fitting within experimental accuracy the lines with K _a < 18. We also present the method of search for initial global solution of torsional-rotational problem within RAS formalism. Accurate spectroscopic parameters obtained in this study provide a reliable basis for the detection of 4-hydroxy-2-butynenitrile in the interstellar medium.

Laboratory spectroscopy of methoxymethanol in the millimeter-wave range

Methoxymethanol, CH₃OCH₂OH is a very interesting candidate for detection in the interstellar medium since it can be formed in the recombination reaction between two radicals considered as intermediates in methanol formation: CH₃O (already detected in the ISM) and CH₂OH.

Low Temperature Synthesis and Phosphorescence of Methylcyanotriacetylene

This paper reports on UV-stimulated synthesis of methylcyanotriacetylene carried out in cryogenic rare gas matrixes via coupling of smaller precursors: propyne and cyanodiacetylene. The detection was possible due to the strong visible ã ³A' → X̃ ¹A₁ phosphorescence of CH₃C₇N, discovered in the course of this work. The ensuing measurements of electronic spectroscopy revealed the formally forbidden B̃ ¹E-X̃ ¹A₁ system, as well as the allowed one Ẽ ¹A₁-X̃ ¹A₁, with origins at approximately 3.32 and 5.4 eV, respectively. It was also possible to revisit the spectroscopic characterization of cyanotriacetylene, HC₇N, formed in parallel to the title photoproduct. Spectral assignments were assisted with a density functional theory study.

Laboratory study of methyl isocyanate ices under astrophysical conditions

Methyl isocyanate has been recently detected in comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG) and in the interstellar medium. New physicochemical studies on this species are now necessary as tools for subsequent studies in astrophysics. In this work, infrared spectra of solid CH3NCO have been obtained at temperatures of relevance for astronomical environments. The spectra are dominated by a strong, characteristic multiplet feature at 2350-2250 cm-1, which can be attributed to the antisymmetric stretching of the NCO group. A phase transition from amorphous to crystalline methyl isocyanate is observed at ~ 90 K. The band strengths for the absorptions of CH3NCO in ice at 20 K have been measured. Deuterated methyl isocyanate is used to help with the spectral assignment. No X-ray structure has been reported for crystalline CH3NCO. Here we advance a tentative theoretical structure, based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, derived taking as a starting point the crystal of isocyanic acid. A harmonic theoretical spectrum is calculated then for the proposed structure, and compared with the experimental data. A mixed ice of H2O and CH3NCO was formed by simultaneous deposition of water and methyl isocyanate at 20 K. The absence of new spectral features indicates that methyl isocyanate and water do not react appreciably at 20 K, but form a stable mixture. The high CH3NCO/H2O ratio reported for comet 67P/CG, and the characteristic structure of the 2350-2250 cm-1 band, make of it a very good candidate for future astronomical searches.

Cryogenic Photochemical Synthesis and Electronic Spectroscopy of Cyanotetracetylene

HC₉N is a molecule of astrochemical interest. In this study, it was produced in cryogenic Ar and Kr matrices from UV-photolyzed diacetylene/cyanodiacetylene mixtures. Its strong phosphorescence was discovered and served for the identification of the compound. Vibrationally resolved phosphorescence excitation spectra gave insight into excited singlet electronic states. Two electronic systems were observed around 26 000-34 000 cm^-1 and 35 000-50 000 cm^-1. Energies of the second excited singlet and the lowest triplet state were derived from analysis of these systems. Vibrational and electronic spectroscopic features were assigned with the assistance of density functional theory calculations. Some trends concerning the electronic spectroscopy of HC_2n+1N family molecules are presented.

Transfer of Asymmetry between Proteinogenic Amino Acids under Harsh Conditions

The heating above 400 °C of serine, cysteine, selenocysteine and threonine leads to a complete decomposition of the amino acids and to the formation in low yields of alanine for the three formers and of 2-aminobutyric acid for the latter. At higher temperature, this amino acid is observed only when sublimable α-alkyl-α-amino acids are present, and with an enantiomeric excess dependent on several parameters. Enantiopure or enantioenriched Ser, Cys, Sel or Thr is not able to transmit its enantiomeric excess to the amino acid formed during its decomposition. The presence during the sublimation-decomposition of enantioenriched valine or isoleucine leads to the enantioenrichment of all sublimable amino acids independently of the presence of many decomposition products coming from the unstable derivative. All these studies give information on a potentially prebiotic key-reaction of abiotic transformations between α-amino acids and their evolution to homochirality.

Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy of a halogen substituted Criegee intermediate ClCHOO

Pure rotational spectra of the chloro-substituted Criegee intermediate (ClCHOO) were observed by Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy. Two conformers (syn and anti) of the isolated molecule were identified from the rotational spectra of the parent and ³⁷Cl and ¹³C isotopologues detected in natural abundance. Rotational constants, centrifugal distortion constants, and all components of the nuclear quadrupole coupling tensor were determined for both conformers. Structural features of the molecule have been rationalized with supporting ab initio calculations and the natural bond orbital analysis, which suggest that the conformational preferences are driven by hyperconjugative effects.

One-step synthesis of conjugated enynenitriles from bromocyanoacetylene

Bromocyanoacetylene is able to provide conjugated enynenitriles stereoselectively in one step from alkynes, secondary amines and co-catalysts.

Low-Temperature Reactivity of C2n+1N(-) Anions with Polar Molecules

Following the recent discovery of molecular anions in the interstellar medium, we report on the kinetics of proton transfer reactions between cyanopolyynide anions C2n+1N(-) (n = 0, 1, 2) and formic acid HCOOH. The results, obtained from room temperature down to 36 K by means of uniform supersonic flows, show a surprisingly weak temperature dependence of the CN(-) reaction rate, in contrast with longer chain anions. The CN(-) + HCOOH reaction is further studied theoretically via a reduced dimensional quantum model that highlights a tendency of the reaction probability to decrease with temperature, in agreement with experimental data but at the opposite of conventional long-range capture theories. In return, comparing HCOOH to HC3N as target molecules suggests that dipole-dipole interactions must play an active role in overcoming this limiting effect at low temperatures. This work provides new fundamental insights on prototypical reactions between polar anions and polar molecules along with critical data for astrochemical modeling.

Is the Reaction of C3N(-) with C2H2 a Possible Process for Chain Elongation in Titan's Ionosphere?

The reaction of C3N(-) with acetylene was studied using three different experimental setups, a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (Trento), a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer (Prague), and the "CERISES" guided ion beam apparatus at Orsay. The process is of astrophysical interest because it can function as a chain elongation mechanism to produce larger anions that have been detected in Titan's ionosphere by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer. Three major products of primary processes, C2H(-), CN(-), and C5N(-), have been identified, whereby the production of the cyanide anion is probably partly due to collisional induced dissociation. The formations of all these products show considerable reaction thresholds and also display comparatively small cross sections. Also, no strong signals of anionic products for collision energies lower than 1 eV have been observed. Ab initio calculations have been performed to identify possible pathways leading to the observed products of the title reaction and to elucidate the thermodynamics of these processes. Although the productions of CN(-) and C5N(-) are exoergic, all reaction pathways have considerable barriers. Overall, the results of these computations are in agreement with the observed reaction thresholds. Due to the existence of considerable reaction energy barriers and the small observed cross sections, the title reaction is not very likely to play a major role in the buildup of large anions in cold environments like the interstellar medium or planetary and satellite ionospheres.

Microwave and Quantum Chemical Study of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in 2-Propynylhydrazine (HC≡CCH2NHNH2)

The microwave spectrum of 2-propynylhydrazine (HC≡CCH2NHNH2) was investigated in the 23-124 GHz spectral interval. The spectra of two conformers denoted I and II were assigned. I is the lower-energy form, and relative intensity measurements yielded an internal energy difference of 3.0(4) kJ/mol between I and II. The spectra of the ground and five vibrationally excited states were assigned for I, whereas only the spectrum of the ground vibrational state was assigned for II. Both I and II are each stabilized simultaneously by two intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The first of these hydrogen bonds is formed between the hydrogen atom of the -NH- part of the hydrazino group, and the second internal hydrogen bond is formed between one of the hydrogen atoms of the -NH2 part. The π-electrons of the triple bond is thus shared by these two hydrogen atoms. The shortest contact between a hydrogen atom of the hydrazino group and the π-electrons of the ethynyl group is found in lower-energy conformer I. The conformational properties of 2-propynylhydrazine were explored by MP2/cc-pVTZ and CCSD/cc-pVQZ calculations. The CCSD method predicts that seven rotameric forms exist for this compound. Five of these rotamers are stabilized by internal hydrogen bonding. The simultaneous sharing of the π-electrons of the triple bond by two hydrogen atoms occurs only in Conformers I and II, which are predicted to be the two forms with the lowest energies, with I 2.52 kJ/mol lower in energy than II. The effective rotational constants of the ground vibrational states of I and II were predicted by a combination of MP2 and CCSD calculations, whereas centrifugal distortion constants and vibration-rotation constants were calculated by the MP2 method. The theoretical spectroscopic constants are compared with the experimental counterparts. It is concluded that more refined calculations are necessary to obtain complete agreement.

Rotational Spectrum, Conformational Composition, Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding, and Quantum Chemical Calculations of Mercaptoacetonitrile (HSCH2C≡N), a Compound of Potential Astrochemical Interest

The microwave spectra of mercaptoacetonitrile (HSCH2C≡N) and one deuterated species (DSCH2C≡N) were investigated in the 7.5-124 GHz spectral interval. The spectra of two conformers denoted SC and AP were assigned. The H-S-C-C chain of atoms is synclinal in SC and anti-periplanar in AP. The ground state of SC is split into two substates separated by a comparatively small energy difference resulting in closely spaced transitions with equal intensities. Several transitions of the parent species of SC deviate from Watson's Hamiltonian. Only slight improvements were obtained using a Hamiltonian that takes coupling between the two substates into account. Deviations from Watson's Hamiltonian were also observed for the parent species of AP. However, the spectrum of the deuterated species, which was investigated only for the SC conformer, fits satisfactorily to Watson's Hamiltonian. Relative intensity measurements found SC to be lower in energy than AP by 3.8(3) kJ/mol. The strength of the intramolecular hydrogen bond between the thiol and cyano groups was estimated to be ∼2.1 kJ/mol. The microwave work was augmented by quantum chemical calculations at CCSD and MP2 levels using basis sets of minimum triple-ζ quality. Mercaptoacetonitrile has astrochemical interest, and the spectra presented herein should be useful for a potential identification of this compound in the interstellar medium. Three different ways of generating mercaptoacetonitrile from compounds already found in the interstellar medium were explored by quantum chemical calculations.

Microwave and Quantum Chemical Study of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in 2-Propenylhydrazine (H2C═CHCH2NHNH2)

The microwave spectrum of 2-propenylhydrazine (H2C═CHCH2NHNH2) was studied in the 12-61 and 72-123 GHz spectral regions. A variety of intramolecular hydrogen bonds between one or more of the hydrogen atoms of the hydrazino group and the π-electrons are possible for this compound. Assignments of the spectra of four conformers, all of which are stabilized with intramolecular hydrogen bonds are reported. One hydrogen bond exists in two of these conformers, whereas the π-electrons are shared by two hydrogen atoms in the two other rotamers. Vibrationally excited-state spectra were assigned for three of the four conformers. The internal hydrogen bonds are weak, probably in the 3-6 kJ/mol range. A total of about 4400 transitions were assigned for these four forms. The microwave work was guided by quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ and CCSD/cc-pVTZ levels of theory. These calculations indicated that as many as 18 conformers may exist for 2-propenylhydrazine and 11 of these have either one or two intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The four conformers detected in this work are among the rotamers with the lowest CCSD electronic energies. The CCSD method predicts rotational constants that are very close to the experimental rotational constants. The B3LYP calculations yielded quartic centrifugal distortion constants that deviated considerably from their experimental counterparts in most cases. The calculation of vibration-rotation constants and sextic centrifugal distortion constants by the B3LYP method were generally found to be in poor agreement with the corresponding experimental constants.