Electronic States of the Quasilinear Molecule Propargylene (HCCCH) from Negative Ion Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Metalloradical Activation of In Situ-Generated α-Alkynyldiazomethanes for Asymmetric Radical Cyclopropanation of Alkenes

α-Alkynyldiazomethanes, generated in situ from the corresponding sulfonyl hydrazones in the presence of a base, can serve as effective metalloradicophiles in Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis (MRC) for asymmetric cyclopropanation of alkenes. With D₂-symmetric chiral amidoporphyrin 2,6-DiMeO-QingPhyrin as the optimal supporting ligand, the Co(II)-based metalloradical system can efficiently activate different α-alkynyldiazomethanes at room temperature for highly asymmetric cyclopropanation of a broad range of alkenes. This catalytic radical process provides a general synthetic tool for stereoselective construction of alkynyl cyclopropanes in high yields with high both diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. Combined computational and experimental studies offer several lines of evidence in support of the underlying stepwise radical mechanism for the Co(II)-catalyzed olefin cyclopropanation involving a unique α-metalloradical intermediate that is associated with two resonance forms of α-Co(III)-propargyl radical and γ-Co(III)-allenyl radical. The resulting enantioenriched alkynyl cyclopropanes, as showcased with several stereospecific transformations, may serve as valuable chiral building blocks for stereoselective organic synthesis.

Crossed Beam Experiments and Computational Studies of Pathways to the Preparation of Singlet Ethynylsilylene (HCCSiH; X1A'): The Silacarbene Counterpart of Triplet Propargylene (HCCCH; X3B)

Ethynylsilylene (HCCSiH; X¹A') has been prepared in the gas phase through the elementary reaction of singlet dicarbon (C₂) with silane (SiH₄) under single-collision conditions. Electronic structure calculations reveal a barrierless reaction pathway involving 1,1-insertion of dicarbon into one of the silicon-hydrogen bonds followed by hydrogen migration to form the 3-sila-methylacetylene (HCCSiH₃) intermediate. The intermediate undergoes unimolecular decomposition through molecular hydrogen loss to ethynylsilylene (HCCSiH; C_s; X¹A'). The dicarbon-silane system defines a benchmark to explore the consequence of a single collision between the simplest "only carbon" molecule (dicarbon) with the prototype of a closed-shell silicon hydride (silane) yielding a nonclassical silacarbene, whose molecular geometry and electronic structure are quite distinct from the isovalent triplet propargylene (HCCCH; C₂; ³B) carbon-counterpart. These organosilicon transients cannot be prepared through traditional organic, synthetic methods, thus opening up a versatile path to access the previously largely elusive class of silacarbenes.

Ethynylhydroxycarbene (H-C≡C-C̈-OH)

The species on the C₃H₂O potential energy surface have long been known to play a vital role in extraterrestrial chemistry. Here we report on the hitherto uncharacterized isomer ethynylhydroxycarbene (H-C≡C-C̈-OH, 1) generated by high-vacuum flash pyrolysis of ethynylglyoxylic acid ethyl ester and trapped in solid argon matrices at 3 and 20 K. Upon irradiation at 436 nm trans-1 rearranges to its higher lying cis-conformer. Prolonged irradiation leads to the formation of propynal. When the matrix is kept in the dark, 1 reacts within a half-life of ca. 70 h to propynal in a conformer-specific [1,2]H-tunneling process. Our results are fully consistent with computations at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ and the B3LYP/def2-QZVPP levels of theory.

Infrared-Spectroscopic Study of (4-Methylpent-3-en-1-ynyl)methylthiocarbene, Its Photochemical Transformations, and Reactions in an Argon Matrix

The first representative of singlet carbenes bearing both ethynyl and methylthio groups at the carbene center, (4-methylpent-3-en-1-ynyl)methylthiocarbene, has been generated in a low-temperature Ar matrix upon UV photolysis of 3,3-dimethyl-5-methylthioethynyl-3H-pyrazole and detected by FTIR spectroscopy. The generation of the carbene proceeds via intermediate (3-diazo-5-methylhex-4-en-1-ynyl)methylsulfane. The comparison of FTIR spectroscopy data with the results of quantum chemical calculations (B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ) and NRT analysis shows that (4-methylpent-3-en-1-ynyl)methylthiocarbene has a singlet ground state with the localization of the unpaired spins on the carbon atom in the α-position to methylthio moiety. Two major pathways of further phototransformation of the studied carbene have been found. One of them produces photochemically stable thioketone (S═CMe-C≡C-CH═CMe₂) as a result of methyl group migration from sulfur to the neighboring carbon atom, and the other one leads to the formation of labile thioketene (S═C═C(Me)-CH═CH-CMe═CH₂). Ability of (4-methylpent-3-en-1-ynyl)methylthiocarbene to insert into the H-Cl bond was established, which additionally confirms the singlet nature of this intermediate.

Photoinduced C–H bond fission in prototypical organic molecules and radicals

We survey and assess current knowledge regarding the primary photochemistry of hydrocarbon molecules and radicals.

Valence shell threshold photoelectron spectroscopy of C3Hx (x = 0–3)

We present the photoelectron spectra of C₃H_x (x = 0–3) formed in a microwave discharge flow-tube reactor by consecutive H abstractions from C₃H₄ (C₃H_x + F → C₃H_x−1 + HF (x = 1–4)), but also from F + CH₄ schemes by secondary reactions.

Energetic and spectroscopic properties of the low-lying C7H2 isomers: a high-level ab initio perspective

We use high-level ab initio CCSD(T) and CCSDT(Q) methods to investigate the energetic and spectroscopic properties of nine low-lying isomers of C₇H₂, which lie within 1 eV. Among these, heptatriynylidene (1), 1-(buta-1,3-diynyl)cyclopropenylidene (2) and heptahexaenylidene (9) have been detected experimentally. The other six isomers, 1,2-(diethynyl)cyclopropenylidene (3), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-1,2,4,5-tetraene-7-ylidene (4), cyclohepta-1,2,3,4-tetraen-6-yne (5), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-4,6-diene-2-yne-7-ylidene (6), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-1,5-diene-3-yne-7-ylidene (7) and 1-(buta-1,3-diynyl)propadienylidene (8), remain hypothetical to date. Except for 1, all of the isomers are associated with a non-zero dipole moment (μ≠ 0). Although Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy had detected 2 and 9, our study reveals that six hypothetical isomers (3-8) are thermodynamically sandwiched between the experimentally known and astronomically relevant isomers 2 and 9. The structural parameters, dipole moments, rotational and centrifugal distortion constants, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and infra-red intensities presented here may be useful for the laboratory detection of these previously unidentified isomers (3-8) and also all others (2-9) in astronomical sources.

Spectroscopy and Photochemistry of Triplet 1,3-Dimethylpropynylidene (MeC3Me)

Photolysis (λ > 472 nm) of 2-diazo-3-pentyne (11) affords triplet 1,3-dimethylpropynylidene (MeC3Me, (3)3), which was characterized spectroscopically in cryogenic matrices. The infrared, electronic absorption, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of MeC3Me ((3)3) are compared with those of the parent system (HC3H) to ascertain the effect of alkyl substituents on delocalized carbon chains of this type. Quantum chemical calculations (CCSD(T)/ANO1) predict an unsymmetrical equilibrium structure for triplet MeC3Me ((3)3), but they also reveal a very shallow potential energy surface. The experimental IR spectrum of triplet MeC3Me ((3)3) is best interpreted in terms of a quasilinear, axially symmetric structure. EPR spectra yield zero-field splitting parameters that are typical for triplet carbenes with axial symmetry (|D/hc| = 0.63 cm(-1), |E/hc| = ∼ 0 cm(-1)), while theoretical analysis suggests that the methyl substituents confer significant spin polarization to the carbon chain. Upon irradiation into the near-UV electronic absorption (λmax 350 nm), MeC3Me ((3)3) undergoes 1,2-hydrogen migration to yield pent-1-en-3-yne (4), a photochemical reaction that is typical of carbenes bearing a methyl substituent. This facile process apparently precludes photoisomerization to other interesting C5H6 isomers, in contrast to the rich photochemistry of the parent C3H2 system.

Photoelectron Spectroscopy of cis-Nitrous Acid Anion (cis-HONO(-))

We report photoelectron spectra of cis-HONO(-) formed from an association reaction of OH(-) and NO in a pulsed, plasma-entrainment ion source. The experimental data are assigned to the cis-HONO(-) isomer, which is predicted to be the global minimum on the anion potential energy surface. We do not find evidence for a significant contribution from trans-HONO(-). Electron photodetachment of cis-HONO(-) with 1613, 1064, 532, 355, and 301 nm photons accesses the ground X̃ (1)A' (S0) and excited ã (3)A″ (T1) states of neutral HONO. The photoelectron spectrum resulting from detachment forming cis-HONO (S0) exhibits a long vibrational progression, dominated by overtones and combination bands involving the central O-N stretching and ONO bending vibrations. This indicates that there is a significant change in the central O-N bond length between cis-HONO(-) and cis-HONO (S0). The electron affinity (EA) of cis-HONO is determined to be 0.356(8) eV. We also report the dissociation energy (D0) of cis-HONO(-), forming OH(-) + NO, as 0.594(9) eV, which is a factor of 4 decrease in the central O-N bond strength compared to neutral cis-HONO. The T1 state of cis-HONO is shown to be ∼2.3 eV higher in energy than cis-HONO (S0). Electron photodetachment to form cis-HONO (T1) accesses a transition state along the HO-NO bond dissociation coordinate. The resulting photoelectron spectrum exhibits broad peaks spaced by the terminal N═O stretching frequency. Electronic structure calculations and photoelectron spectrum simulations reported here show very good agreement with the experimental data.

Photodissociation dynamics of cyclopropenylidene, c-C3 H2

In this joint experimental and theoretical study we characterize the complete dynamical "life cycle" associated with the photoexcitation of the singlet carbene cyclopropenylidene to the lowest lying optically bright excited electronic state: from the initial creation of an excited-state wavepacket to the ultimate fragmentation of the molecule on the vibrationally hot ground electronic state. Cyclopropenylidene is prepared in this work using an improved synthetic pathway for the preparation of the precursor quadricyclane, thereby greatly simplifying the assignment of the molecular origin of the measured photofragments. The excitation process and subsequent non-adiabatic dynamics have been previously investigated employing time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and are now complemented with high-level ab initio trajectory simulations that elucidate the specific vibronic relaxation pathways. Lastly, the fragmentation channels accessed by the molecule following internal conversion are probed using velocity map imaging (VMI) so that the identity of the fragmentation products and their corresponding energy distributions can be definitively assigned.

Electronic spectra of linear HC5H and cumulene carbene H2C5

The 1(3)Σu (-)←X(3)Σg (-) transition of linear HC5H (A) has been observed in a neon matrix and gas phase. The assignment is based on mass-selective experiments, extrapolation of previous results of the longer HC2n+1H homologues, and density functional and multi-state CASPT2 theoretical methods. Another band system starting at 303 nm in neon is assigned as the 1(1)A1←X˜(1)A1 transition of the cumulene carbene pentatetraenylidene H2C5 (B).