Electron Impact Investigation of the Molecules SeS(g) and TeSe(g) Under High-Temperature Equilibrium Conditions

Thermal decomposition of cyclohexane by flash pyrolysis vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry: a study on the initial unimolecular decomposition mechanism

Thermal decomposition of cyclohexane at temperatures up to 1310 K was performed using flash pyrolysis coupled with vacuum ultraviolet (118.2 nm) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The experimental results revealed that the major initiation reaction of cyclohexane decomposition was C-C bond fission leading to the formation of 1,6-hexyl diradical. The 1,6-hexyl diradical could isomerize to 1-hexene and decompose into ˙C3H7 + ˙C3H5 and ˙C4H7 + ˙C2H5. The 1,6-hexyl diradical could also undergo direct dissociation; the C4H8 fragment via the 1,4-butyl diradical intermediate was observed, serving as evidence of the 1,6-hexyl diradical mechanism. Quantum chemistry calculations at UCCSD(T)/cc-pVDZ level of theory on the initial reaction pathways of cyclohexane were performed and found to be consistent with the experimental conclusions. Cyclohexyl radical was not observed as an initial intermediate in the pyrolysis. Benzene was produced from sequential H2 eliminations of cyclohexane at high temperatures.

Total and partial electron impact ionization cross sections of fusion-relevant diatomic molecules

We report calculations of total (and absolute) electron-impact ionization cross sections (EICSs) for the fusion-relevant diatomic molecular species BeH, BeN, BeO, WH, WBe, WN, WO, O₂, and N₂ by means of the Deutsch-Märk and the binary-encounter-Bethe methods in the energy range from threshold to 10 keV. In addition, we discuss an empirical scheme to estimate partial cross sections from the total ones based on reaction energetics and empirical threshold laws and explore its accuracy by assessing available experimental data on total and partial EICSs. Finally, we also report parameters obtained by fitting the calculated cross sections to an expression commonly used in fusion edge plasma modeling.

A Comparison Between Energetics of Decomposition and Photo-Deposition of Pd and Pt from Pd(C5 H5 )(C3 H5) and Pt(C5H5)(C3 H5)

The energetics of decomposition of a variety of organometallic compounds have been determined from photoionization mass spectroscopy and electron impact mass spectroscopy. In particular, Pd(C5H5)(C3H5) and Pt(C5H5)(C3H5) have been studied in this fashion, and the information used to make patterned Pd/Ni/Si heterostructures by laser induced photolysis of the palladium compound and nickelocene in vacuum (MOCVD). Contamination in the thin films was determined by Auger electron spectroscopy, and compared with that found by other researchers for photo-deposition of Pt from the cyclopentadiene allyl [1].Thermodynamic data is used to explain differing contamination levels in the Pd and the Pt coatings.

Accounting for the differences in the structures and relative energies of the highly homoatomic np pi-np pi (n > or = 3)-bonded S2I4 2+, the Se-I pi-bonded Se2I4 2+, and their higher-energy isomers by AIM, MO, NBO, and VB methodologies

The bonding in the highly homoatomic np pi-np pi (n > or = 3)-bonded S2I42+ (three sigma + two pi bonds), the Se-I pi-bonded Se2I42+ (four sigma + one pi bonds), and their higher-energy isomers have been studied using modern DFT and ab initio calculations and theoretical analysis methods: atoms in molecules (AIM), molecular orbital (MO), natural bond orbital (NBO), and valence bond (VB) analyses, giving their relative energies, theoretical bond orders, and atomic charges. The aim of this work was to seek theory-based answers to four main questions: (1) Are the previously proposed simple pi*-pi* bonding models valid for S2I42+ and Se2I42+? (2) What accounts for the difference in the structures of S2I42+ and Se2I42+? (3) Why are the classically bonded isolobal P2I4 and As2I4 structures not adopted? (4) Is the high experimentally observed S-S bond order supported by theoretical bond orders, and how does it relate to high bond orders between other heavier main group elements? The AIM analysis confirmed the high bond orders and established that the weak bonds observed in S2I42+ and Se2I42+ are real and the bonding in these cations is covalent in nature. The full MO analysis confirmed that S2I42+ contains three sigma and two pi bonds, that the positive charge is essentially equally distributed over all atoms, that the bonding between S2 and two I2+ units in S2I42+ is best described by two mutually perpendicular 4c2e pi*-pi* bonds, and that in Se2I42+, two SeI2+ moieties are joined by a 6c2e pi*-pi* bond, both in agreement with previously suggested models. The VB treatment provided a complementary approach to MO analysis and provided insight how the formation of the weak bonds affects the other bonds. The NBO analysis and the calculated AIM charges showed that the minimization of the electrostatic repulsion between EI2+ units (E = S, Se) and the delocalization of the positive charge are the main factors that explain why the nonclassical structures are favored for S2I42+ and Se2I42+. The difference in the structures of S2I42+ and Se2I42+ is related to the high strength of the S-S pi bond compared to the weak S-I sigma bond and the additional stabilization from increased delocalization of positive charge in the structure of S2I42+ compared to the structure of Se2I42+. The investigation of the E2X42+ series (E = S, Se, Te; X = Cl, Br, I) revealed that only S2I42+ adopts the highly np pi-np pi (n > or = 3)-bonded structure, while all other dications favor the pi-bonded Se2I42+ structure. Theoretical bond order calculations for S2I42+ confirm the previously presented experimentally based bond orders for S-S (2.1-2.3) and I-I (1.3-1.5) bonds. The S-S bond is determined to have the highest reported S-S bond order in an isolated compound and has a bond order that is either similar to or slightly less than the Si-Si bond order in the proposed triply bonded [(Me3Si)2CH]2(iPr)SiSi triple bond SiSi(iPr)[CH(SiMe3)2]2 depending on the definition of bond orders used.