The formation of an enynic-like intermediate in diacetylene binding on Si(100)-2×1

New Thermal Routes to ortho-Benzyne

There is experimental evidence that intermediate ortho-benzynes can be made by intramolecular [2 + 4] cycloaddition of a 1,3-diyne with an alkyne. Computations by several groups support a concerted mechanism for the cycloaddition of butadiyne with acetylene. High temperature benzyne cycloreversion has also been demonstrated experimentally; this may in fact be a common reaction in hydrocarbon fuel combustion. Following leads from earlier pyrolysis experiments, herein we predict that cycloaddition of benzyne with butadiyne can proceed by a stepwise mechanism to 2,3-naphthyne. However, a slightly lower energy path leads to a benzocyclobutadiene. ortho-Benzyne can be generated by solution-phase and solid-phase reaction in a microwave reactor. We have developed the method of microwave flash pyrolysis (MFP) for high temperature solid-phase microwave reactions. MFP reaction of phthalic anhydride, a classic benzyne precursor, results in a typical suite of products expected from a relatively high concentration of benzyne.

Selective attachment of benzaldehyde on Si(100)-2×1: Structure, selectivity, and mechanism

The interaction of benzaldehyde with the Si(100) surface has been investigated as a model system for understanding the interaction of conjugated pi-electron systems with semiconductor surfaces. Vibrational features of chemisorbed benzaldehyde unambiguously demonstrate that the carbonyl group directly interacts with the Si surface dangling bonds, evidenced in the disappearance of the C=O stretching mode around 1713 cm(-1) coupled with the retention of all vibrational signatures of its phenyl ring. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy shows that both C 1s and O 1s binding energies of the carbonyl group display large downshifts by 1.9 and 1.3 eV, respectively. Vibrational and electronic results show that the covalent attachment of benzaldehyde on Si(100) occurs in a highly selective manner through the direct interaction of both C and O atoms of the carbonyl group with a Si=Si dimer to form a four-membered Si-C-O-Si ring at the interface, leaving a nearly unperturbed phenyl ring protruding into vacuum. This conclusion is further confirmed by the observation of a predominant protrusion for benzaldehyde adsorbed on Si(100)-2 x 1 in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments, consistent with the predication of density-functional theory calculation.

Formation of a tetra-sigma-bonded intermediate in acetylethyne binding on Si(100)-2 x 1

The covalent binding of acetylethyne on Si(100)-2 x 1 has been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The HREELS spectra of chemisorbed monolayers show the absence of the C=O, C[triple bond]C, and C(sp)-H stretching modes coupled with the appearance of C=C (at 1580 cm(-1)) and C(sp2)-H (at 3067 cm(-1)) stretching modes. This demonstrates that both of the C=O and CC groups of acetylethyne directly participate in binding with silicon surfaces to form C-O and C=C bonds, respectively, which is further confirmed by the XPS studies. A tetra-sigma-binding configuration through two [2 + 2]-like cycloaddition reactions in acetylethyne binding on Si(100) is proposed to account for the experimental observation. The cycloadduct containing a C=C double bond may be employed as an intermediate for further in situ chemical syntheses of multilayer organic thin films or surface functionalization.