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Wang H, Guan J, Gao J, Zhang J, Xu Q, Xu G, Jiang L, Xing L, Truhlar DG, Wang Z. Direct Observation of Covalently Bound Clusters in Resonantly Stabilized Radical Reactions and Implications for Carbonaceous Particle Growth. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:13571-13579. [PMID: 38710105 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Based on quantum mechanically guided experiments that observed elusive intermediates in the domain of inception that lies between large molecules and soot particles, we provide a new mechanism for the formation of carbonaceous particles from gas-phase molecular precursors. We investigated the clustering behavior of resonantly stabilized radicals (RSRs) and their interactions with unsaturated hydrocarbons through a combination of gas-phase reaction experiments and theoretical calculations. Our research directly observed a sequence of covalently bound clusters (CBCs) as key intermediates in the evolution from small RSRs, such as benzyl (C7H7), indenyl (C9H7), 1-methylnaphthyl (1-C11H9), and 2-methylnaphthyl (2-C11H9), to large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) consisting of 28 to 55 carbons. We found that hydrogen abstraction and RSR addition drive the formation and growth of CBCs, leading to progressive H-losses, the generation of large PAHs and PAH radicals, and the formation of white smoke (incipient carbonaceous particles). This mechanism of progressive H-losses from CBCs (PHLCBC) elucidates the crucial relationship among RSRs, CBCs, and PAHs, and this study provides an unprecedentedly seamless path of observed assembly from small RSRs to large nanoparticles. Understanding the PHLCBC mechanism over a wide temperature range may enhance the accuracy of multiscale models of soot formation, guide the synthesis of carbonaceous nanomaterials, and deepen our understanding of the origin and evolution of carbon within our galaxy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Jiwen Guan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Jiao Gao
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Jinyang Zhang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Xu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Guangxian Xu
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Ling Jiang
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China
| | - Lili Xing
- Energy and Power Engineering Institute, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, Henan, P. R. China
| | - Donald G Truhlar
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Theory Center, and Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States
| | - Zhandong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029, Anhui, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, P. R. China
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2
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Li W, Yang J, Zhao L, Couch D, Marchi MS, Hansen N, Morozov AN, Mebel AM, Kaiser RI. Gas-phase preparation of azulene (C 10H 8) and naphthalene (C 10H 8) via the reaction of the resonantly stabilized fulvenallenyl and propargyl radicals. Chem Sci 2023; 14:9795-9805. [PMID: 37736626 PMCID: PMC10510771 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03231k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic routes to the 10π Hückel aromatic azulene (C10H8) molecule, the simplest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carrying an adjacent five- and seven-membered ring, have been of fundamental importance due to the role of azulene - a structural isomer of naphthalene - as an essential molecular building block of saddle-shaped carbonaceous nanostructures such as curved nanographenes and nanoribbons. Here, we report on the very first gas phase preparation of azulene by probing the gas-phase reaction between two resonantly stabilized radicals, fulvenallenyl and propargyl , in a molecular beam through isomer-resolved vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. Augmented by electronic structure calculations, the novel Fulvenallenyl Addition Cyclization Aromatization (FACA) reaction mechanism affords a versatile concept for introducing the azulene moiety into polycyclic aromatic systems thus facilitating an understanding of barrierless molecular mass growth processes of saddle-shaped aromatics and eventually carbonaceous nanoparticles (soot, interstellar grains) in our universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230029 China
| | - Jiuzhong Yang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230029 China
| | - Long Zhao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230029 China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230027 China
| | - David Couch
- Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories Livermore CA 94551 USA
| | - Myrsini San Marchi
- Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories Livermore CA 94551 USA
| | - Nils Hansen
- Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories Livermore CA 94551 USA
| | - Alexander N Morozov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Alexander M Mebel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University Miami FL 33199 USA
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu HI 96822 USA
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Jin J, Xie C, Gao J, Wang H, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Gao M, Ma J, Wang Z, Guan J. Elucidating the toluene formation mechanism in the reaction of propargyl radical with 1,3-butadiene. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:13136-13144. [PMID: 37129089 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp01061a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Toluene is one of the simplest mono-substituted benzene derivatives and an important precursor to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot. However, there is a lack of critical understanding of the formation mechanisms of the toluene molecule. In this work, we explore high-temperature reactions of propargyl radical addition to 1,3-butadiene in a tubular flow microreactor. We obtain experimental evidence for the distinct formations of three C7H8 isomers consisting of toluene, 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene, and 5-methylene-1,3-cyclohexadiene discriminated by synchrotron VUV photoionization efficiency curves. Toluene is identified as the dominant product, which shows strong contrast with the calculated results of the system. By performing theoretical calculations and kinetic simulations, we found that 5-methylene-1,3-cyclohexadiene is a key product of the primary reaction, and toluene formation is enhanced by unavoidable secondary reactions, such as unimolecular isomerization and/or H-assisted isomerization reactions in the SiC microreactor. The current work provides competitive pathways for the enhanced formation of toluene, and may further help disentangle the toluene-promoted molecular growth mechanism of PAHs in combustion environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Jin
- School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, P. R. China.
| | - Cheng Xie
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
| | - Jiao Gao
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
| | - Jinyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, P. R. China.
| | - Min Gao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 102488, P. R. China
| | - Jiabi Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 102488, P. R. China
| | - Zhandong Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
- State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Jiwen Guan
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230029, P. R. China.
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He C, Kaiser RI, Lu W, Ahmed M, Pivovarov PS, Kuznetsov OV, Zagidullin MV, Mebel AM. Unconventional Pathway in the Gas-Phase Synthesis of 9H-Fluorene (C 13 H 10 ) via the Radical-Radical Reaction of Benzyl (C 7 H 7 ) with Phenyl (C 6 H 5 ). Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202216972. [PMID: 36524679 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202216972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The simplest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) carrying a five-membered ring-9H-fluorene (C13 H10 )-is produced isomer-specifically in the gas phase by reacting benzyl (C7 H7 ⋅) with phenyl (C6 H5 ⋅) radicals in a pyrolytic reactor coupled with single photon ionization mass spectrometry. The unconventional mechanism of reaction is supported by theoretical calculations, which first produces diphenylmethane and unexpected 1-(6-methylenecyclohexa-2,4-dienyl)benzene intermediates (C13 H12 ) accessed via addition of the phenyl radical to the ortho position of the benzyl radical. These findings offer convincing evidence for molecular mass growth processes defying conventional wisdom that radical-radical reactions are initiated through recombination at their radical centers. The structure of 9H-fluorene acts as a molecular building block for complex curved nanostructures like fullerenes and nanobowls providing fundamental insights into the hydrocarbon evolution in high temperature settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI-96822, USA
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI-96822, USA
| | - Wenchao Lu
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA-94720, USA
| | - Musahid Ahmed
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA-94720, USA
| | - Pavel S Pivovarov
- Samara National Research University, Samara, 443086, Russian Federation
| | - Oleg V Kuznetsov
- Samara National Research University, Samara, 443086, Russian Federation
| | | | - Alexander M Mebel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL-33199, USA
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Li W, Zhao L, Kaiser RI. A unified reaction network on the formation of five-membered ringed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their role in ring expansion processes through radical-radical reactions. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:4141-4150. [PMID: 36655590 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp05305e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Exploiting a chemical microreactor in combination with an isomer-selective product identification through fragment-free photoionization utilizing tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light in tandem with the detection of the ionized molecules by a high resolution reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Re-TOF-MS), the present investigation reveals molecular mass growth processes to four distinct polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons carrying two six- and one five-membered ring (C13H10): 3H-cyclopenta[a]naphthalene, 1H-cyclopenta[b]naphthalene, 1H-cyclopenta[a]naphthalene, and fluorene in the gas phase. Temperatures of 973 and 1023 K simulating conditions in combustion settings along with circumstellar envelopes of carbon-rich stars and planetary nebulae. These reactions highlight the importance of methyl-substituted aromatic reactants (biphenyl, naphthalene) which can be converted to the methylene (-CH2˙) motive by hydrogen abstraction or photolysis. Upon reaction with acetylene, methylene-substituted aromatics carrying a hydrogen atom at the ortho position of the ring can be then converted to cyclopentadiene-annulated aromatics thus providing a versatile pathway to five-membered ring aromatics at elevated temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, China.
| | - Long Zhao
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, China. .,School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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Hirsch F, Fischer I, Bakels S, Rijs AM. Gas-Phase Infrared Spectra of the C 7H 5 Radical and Its Bimolecular Reaction Products. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:2532-2540. [PMID: 35427137 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Resonance-stabilized radicals are considered as possible intermediates in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in interstellar space. Here, we investigate the fulvenallenyl radical, the most stable C7H5 isomer by IR/UV ion dip spectroscopy employing free electron laser radiation in the mid-infrared region between 550 and 1750 cm-1. The radical is generated by pyrolysis from phthalide. Various jet-cooled reaction products are identified by their mass-selective IR spectra in the fingerprint region, based on a comparison with computed spectra. Interestingly, benzyl is present as a second resonance-stabilized radical. It is connected to fulvenallenyl by a sequence of two H atom losses or additions. Among the identified aromatic hydrocarbons are toluene and styrene, as well as polycyclic molecules, such as indene, naphthalene, fluorene and phenanthrene. Mechanisms for the formation of PAH from C7H5 have already been suggested in previous computational work. In particular, the radical/radical reaction of two fulvenallenyl radicals provides an efficient route to phenanthrene in one bimolecular step and might be relevant for PAH formation under astrochemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Hirsch
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingo Fischer
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sjors Bakels
- Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7c, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk M Rijs
- Radboud University, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7c, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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McCabe MN, Hemberger P, Campisi D, Broxterman JC, Reusch E, Bodi A, Bouwman J. Formation of phenylacetylene and benzocyclobutadiene in the ortho-benzyne + acetylene reaction. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:1869-1876. [PMID: 34989380 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05183k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Ortho-benzyne is a potentially important precursor for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation, but much is still unknown about its chemistry. In this work, we report on a combined experimental and theoretical study of the o-benzyne + acetylene reaction and employ double imaging threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy to investigate the reaction products with isomer specificity. Based on photoion mass-selected threshold photoelectron spectra, Franck-Condon simulations, and ionization cross section calculations, we conclude that phenylacetylene and benzocyclobutadiene (PA : BCBdiene) are formed at a non-equilibrium ratio of 2 : 1, respectively, in a pyrolysis microreactor at a temperature of 1050 K and a pressure of ∼20 mbar. The C8H6 potential energy surface (PES) is explored to rationalize the formation of the reaction products. Previously unidentified pathways have been found by considering the open-shell singlet (OSS) character of various C8H6 reactive intermediates. Based on the PES data, a kinetic model is constructed to estimate equilibrium abundances of the two products. New insights into the reaction mechanism - with a focus on the OSS intermediates - and the products formed in the o-benzyne + acetylene reaction provide a greater level of understanding of the o-benzyne reactivity during the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons in combustion environments as well as in outflows of carbon-rich stars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan N McCabe
- Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Patrick Hemberger
- Laboratory for Synchrotron Radiation and Femtochemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Dario Campisi
- Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jeger C Broxterman
- Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Engelbert Reusch
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andras Bodi
- Laboratory for Synchrotron Radiation and Femtochemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Jordy Bouwman
- Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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