Gas-Phase Coordination of Mg+, (c-C5H5)Mg+, and (c-C5H5)2Mg+ with Small Inorganic Ligands

Nitrogen adsorption on Nb2C6H4+ cations: the important role of benzyne (ortho-C6H4)

N2 adsorption is a prerequisite for activation and transformation. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry experiments show that the Nb2C6H4+ cation, resulting from the gas-phase reaction of Nb2+ with C6H6, is more favorable for N2 adsorption than Nb+ and Nb2+ cations. Density functional theory calculations reveal the effect of the ortho-C6H4 ligand on N2 adsorption. In Nb2C6H4+, interactions between the Nb-4d and C-2p orbitals enable the Nb2+ cation to form coordination bonds with the ortho-C6H4 ligand. Although the ortho-C6H4 ligand in Nb2C6H4+ is not directly involved in the reaction, its presence increases the polarity of the cluster and brings the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) closer to the lowest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of N2, thereby increasing the N2 adsorption energy, which effectively facilitates N2 adsorption and activation. This study provides fundamental insights into the mechanisms of N2 adsorption in "transition metal-organic ligand" systems.

Reductions of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acetonitrile by the magnesium(II)/magnesium(I) couple in aqueous media: theoretical insights from a nano-sized water droplet

Reductions of O2, CO2, and CH3CN by the half-reaction of the Mg(II)/Mg(I) couple (Mg(2+) + e(-) → Mg(+•)) confined in a nanosized water droplet ([Mg(H2O)16](•+)) have been examined theoretically by means of density functional theory based molecular dynamics methods. The present works have revealed many intriguing aspects of the reaction dynamics of the water clusters within several picoseconds or even in subpicoseconds. The reduction of O2 requires an overall doublet spin state of the system. The reductions of CO2 and CH3CN are facilitated by their bending vibrations and the electron-transfer processes complete within 0.5 ps. For all reactions studied, the radical anions, i.e., O2(•-), CO2(•-), and CH3CN(•-), are initially formed on the cluster surface. O2(•-) and CO2(•-) can integrate into the clusters due to their high hydrophilicity. They are either solvated in the second solvation shell of Mg(2+) as a solvent-separated ion pair (ssip) or directly coordinated to Mg(2+) as a contact-ion pair (cip) having the (1)η-[MgO2](•+) and (1)η-[MgOCO](•+) coordination modes. The (1)η-[MgO2](•+) core is more crowded than the (1)η-[MgOCO](•+) core. The reaction enthalpies of the formation of ssip and cip of [Mg(CO2)(H2O)16](•+) are -36 ± 4 kJ mol(-1) and -30 ± 9 kJ mol(-1), respectively, which were estimated based on the average temperature changes during the ion-molecule reaction between CO2 and [Mg(H2O)16](•+). The values for the formation of ssip and cip of [Mg(O2)(H2O)16](•+) are estimated to be -112 ± 18 kJ mol(-1) and -128 ± 28 kJ mol(-1), respectively. CH3CN(•-) undergoes protonation spontaneously to form the hydrophobic [CH3CN, H](•). Both CH3CN and [CH3CN, H](•) cannot efficiently penetrate into the clusters with activation barriers of 22 kJ mol(-1) and ∼40 kJ mol(-1), respectively. These results provide fundamental insights into the solvation dynamics of the Mg(2+)/Mg(•+) couple on the molecular level.

Using metal complex ion-molecule reactions in a miniature rectilinear ion trap mass spectrometer to detect chemical warfare agents

The gas-phase reactions of a series of coordinatively unsaturated [Ni(L)n](y+) complexes, where L is a nitrogen-containing ligand, with chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulants in a miniature rectilinear ion trap mass spectrometer were investigated as part of a new approach to detect CWAs. Results show that upon entering the vacuum system via a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membrane introduction, low concentrations of several CWA simulants, including dipropyl sulfide (simulant for mustard gas), acetonitrile (simulant for the nerve agent tabun), and diethyl phosphite (simulant for nerve agents sarin, soman, tabun, and VX), can react with metal complex ions generated by electrospray ionization (ESI), thereby providing a sensitive means of detecting these compounds. The [Ni(L)n](2+) complexes are found to be particularly reactive with the simulants of mustard gas and tabun, allowing their detection at low parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. These detection limits are well below reported exposure limits for these CWAs, which indicates the applicability of this new approach, and are about two orders of magnitude lower than electron ionization detection limits on the same mass spectrometer. The use of coordinatively unsaturated metal complexes as reagent ions offers the possibility of further tuning the ion-molecule chemistry so that desired compounds can be detected selectively or at even lower concentrations.

A kinetic study of Mg+ and Mg-containing ions reacting with O3, O2, N2, CO2, N2O and H2O: implications for magnesium ion chemistry in the upper atmosphere

Reactions between Mg(+) and O(3), O(2), N(2), CO(2) and N(2)O were studied using the pulsed laser photo-dissociation at 193 nm of Mg(C(5)H(7)O(2))(2) vapour, followed by time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence of Mg(+) at 279.6 nm (Mg(+)(3(2)P(3/2)-3(2)S(1/2))). The rate coefficient for the reaction Mg(+) + O(3) is at the Langevin capture rate coefficient and independent of temperature, k(190-340 K) = (1.17 ± 0.19) × 10(-9) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (1σ error). The reaction MgO(+) + O(3) is also fast, k(295 K) = (8.5 ± 1.5) × 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), and produces Mg(+) + 2O(2) with a branching ratio of (0.35 ± 0.21), the major channel forming MgO(2)(+) + O(2). Rate data for Mg(+) recombination reactions yielded the following low-pressure limiting rate coefficients: k(Mg(+) + N(2)) = 2.7 × 10(-31) (T/300 K)(-1.88); k(Mg(+) + O(2)) = 4.1 × 10(-31) (T/300 K)(-1.65); k(Mg(+) + CO(2)) = 7.3 × 10(-30) (T/300 K)(-1.59); k(Mg(+) + N(2)O) = 1.9 × 10(-30) (T/300 K)(-2.51) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1), with 1σ errors of ±15%. Reactions involving molecular Mg-containing ions were then studied at 295 K by the pulsed laser ablation of a magnesite target in a fast flow tube, with mass spectrometric detection. Rate coefficients for the following ligand-switching reactions were measured: k(Mg(+)·CO(2) + H(2)O → Mg(+)·H(2)O + CO(2)) = (5.1 ± 0.9) × 10(-11); k(MgO(2)(+) + H(2)O → Mg(+)·H(2)O + O(2)) = (1.9 ± 0.6) × 10(-11); k(Mg(+)·N(2) + O(2)→ Mg(+)·O(2) + N(2)) = (3.5 ± 1.5) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Low-pressure limiting rate coefficients were obtained for the following recombination reactions in He: k(MgO(2)(+) + O(2)) = 9.0 × 10(-30) (T/300 K)(-3.80); k(Mg(+)·CO(2) + CO(2)) = 2.3 × 10(-29) (T/300 K)(-5.08); k(Mg(+)·H(2)O + H(2)O) = 3.0 × 10(-28) (T/300 K)(-3.96); k(MgO(2)(+) + N(2)) = 4.7 × 10(-30) (T/300 K)(-3.75); k(MgO(2)(+) + CO(2)) = 6.6 × 10(-29) (T/300 K)(-4.18); k(Mg(+)·H(2)O + O(2)) = 1.2 × 10(-27) (T/300 K)(-4.13) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1). The implications of these results for magnesium ion chemistry in the atmosphere are discussed.

Gaseous ions and chemical mass spectrometry

The intrinsic chemical reactivities of ions can be monitored in the gas phase using mass spectrometers that are coupled to appropriate ion sources and reaction cells. Here the author surveys his own experiences over the past 40 years as an ion chemist. He used flow-tube techniques for room temperature measurements of the intrinsic chemical reactivities of a large variety of positive and negative ions, including bare atomic ions, ions found in solution, biological ions, carbonaceous ions, and interstellar, cometary, and ionospheric ions. Progress in the measurement of chemical reactions of these ions with flow-tube mass spectrometry in the author’s laboratory was been driven largely by developments in techniques of ion injection into the flow tube and of ion production (e.g., by electron impact, plasma ionization, and electrospray ionization). Chemical topics that are covered include: acid-base and nucleophilic displacement reactions that have bridged the gap between the gas phase and solution; interstellar ions and their role in molecular synthesis such as the synthesis of amino acids; the chemistry of fullerene cations as a function of charge state; fundamentals and applications of the chemistry of atomic cations with an emphasis on transition metal and lanthanide cations; atomic metal-ion catalysis; and chemical reactions of singly and multiply charged biological anions and cations in the gas phase.Key words: ions, mass spectrometry, kinetics, ion chemistry.

Gas-phase ion chemistry in organometallic systems

This review essentially deals with positive ion/molecule reactions occurring in gas-phase organometallic systems, and encompasses a period of time of approximately 7 years, going from 1997 to early 2004. Following the example of the excellent review by Eller & Schwarz (1991; Chem Rev 91:1121-1177), in the first part, results of reaction of naked ions are presented by grouping them according to the neutral substrate, while in the second part, ligated ions are grouped according to the different ligands. Whenever possible, comparison among similar studies is attempted, and general trends of reactivities are evidenced.

Extraordinary Cluster Formation and Intramolecular Ligand−Ligand Interactions in Cyanoactylene Mediated by Mg+•: Implications for the Atmospheric Chemistry of Titan and for Circumstellar Chemistry

Experimental results are reported that track the kinetics of gas-phase reactions initiated by Mg+*, (c-C5H5)Mg+ and (c-C5H5)2Mg+* in hydrogen cyanide and cyanoacetylene. The experiments were performed with a selected-ion flow tube (SIFT) tandem mass spectrometer at a helium buffer-gas pressure of 0.35 +/- 0.01 Torr and at 294 +/- 3 K. The observed chemistries of Mg+* and (c-C5H5)Mg+ are dominated by sequential ligation, while that of (c-C5H5)2Mg+* is by ligand switching. The rate-coefficient measurements for sequential addition of cyanoacetylene to Mg+* indicate an extraordinary pattern in alternating chemical reactivity while multiple-collision induced dissociation experiments revealed an extraordinary stability for the Mg(HC3N)4+* cluster ion. Molecular orbital calculations with density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP level, Hartree-Fock (HF) and second-order Mphiller-Plesset (MP2) levels, all performed with a 6-31+G(d) basis set, have been used to calculate structures and energies for the observed Mg(HC3N)1-4(+)* cations. These calculations indicate that the path of formation of Mg(HC3N)4+* involves ligand-ligand interactions leading to two cyclic (HC3N)2 ligands which then interact to form 2,4,6,8-tetracyanosemibullvalene-Mg+ or 1,2,5,6-tetracyano-1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene-Mg+ cations. A case is made for the formation of similar complex organomagnesium ions in the upper atmosphere of Titan where subsequent electron-ion recombination may produce cyano derivatives of large unsaturated hydrocarbons. In contrast, circumstellar environments with their much higher relative content of free electrons are less likely to give rise to such chemistry.

Noncovalent metal-ligand bond energies as studied by threshold collision-induced dissociation

This review focuses on noncovalent metal ion-ligand complexes and measurements of the bond energies of such species. The method utilized in this work is threshold collision-induced dissociation (CID), as achieved using a guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer. Accurate determination of bond energies requires attention to many details of the experiments and data analysis. These details are discussed thoroughly and compared to other methods. A comprehensive listing of metal-ligand bond dissociation energies determined by threshold CID is provided. This list includes a variety of metals (alkalis, magnesium, aluminum, and first and second row transition metals), many different types of ligands, and variations in the number of ligands. The trends in these values are discussed, and we elucidate the importance of ion-dipole and ion-induced dipole interactions, chelation, different conformers and tautomers, steric interactions, solvation phenomena, and electronic effects such as hybridization and promotion.