Monosilicon-substituted cyanoacetylene: a computational study

Spectroscopic and structural characterization of three silaisocyanides: exploring an elusive class of reactive molecules at high resolution

Silaisocyanoacetylene, HCCNSi, silaisocyanodiacetylene, HC4NSi, and silaisocyanogen, NCNSi, have been identified spectroscopically for the first time. All three transient species were observed at high spectral resolution at centimeter wavelengths (5-40 GHz) by microwave spectroscopy. From detection of less abundant isotopic species and high-level quantum-chemical calculations, accurate empirical equilibrium structures have been derived for HCCNSi and NCNSi. All three molecules are promising candidates for future radio astronomical detection owing in part to large calculated dipole moments.

Synthesis of the silaisocyanoacetylene molecule

The hitherto elusive silaisocyanoacetylene molecule (HCCNSi)-a member of the silaisocyanide family-has been synthesized for the first time through the reaction of the silicon nitride radical (SiN) with acetylene (C(2)H(2)) in the gas phase under single collision conditions. Compared to the isoelectronic reaction of the cyano radical (CN) with acetylene, the replacement of the carbon atom in the cyano group by an isovalent silicon atom has a pronounced effect on the reactivity. Whereas the silicon nitride radical was found to pass an entrance barrier and adds with the nitrogen atom to the acetylene molecule, the cyano radical adds barrierlessly with the carbon atom forming the HCCH(NSi) and HCCH(CN) intermediates, respectively. These structures undergo hydrogen loss to form the linear silaisocyanoacetylene (HCCNSi) and cyanoacetylene molecules (HCCCN), respectively. Therefore, the isovalency of the silicon atom was found to bear little resemblance with the carbon atom having a dramatic effect not only on the reactivity, but also on the reaction mechanism, thermochemistry, and chemical bonding of the isoelectronic silaisocyanoacetylene and cyanoacetylene products, effectively reversing the thermodynamical stability of the nitrile versus isonitrile and silanitrile versus isosilanitrile isomer pairs.