Two-Dimensional Penning Ionization Electron Spectroscopy of NNO, HCNO, and HNNN: Electronic Structure and the Interaction Potential with He*(23S) Metastable and Li(22S) Ground State Atoms

X-ray induced fragmentation of fulminic acid, HCNO

The fragmentation of fulminic acid, HCNO, after excitation and ionization of core electrons was investigated using Auger-electron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy. A considerable degree of site-selectivity is observed. Ionization of the carbon and oxygen 1s electron leads to around 70% CH+ + NO+, while ionization at the central N-atom produces only 37% CH+ + NO+, but preferentially forms O+ + HCN+ and O+ + CN+. The mass-selected Auger-electron spectra show that these fragments are associated with higher binding energy final states. Furthermore, ionization of the C 1s electron leads to a higher propensity for C-H bond fission compared to O 1s ionization. Following resonant Auger-Meitner decay after 1s → 3π excitation, 12 different ionic products are formed. At the C 1s edge, the parent ion HCNO+ is significantly more stable compared to the other two edges, which we also attribute to the higher contribution of final states with low binding energies in the C 1s resonant Auger electron spectra.

Auger electron spectroscopy of fulminic acid, HCNO: an experimental and theoretical study

HCNO is a molecule of considerable astrochemical interest as a precursor to prebiotic molecules. It is synthesized by preparative pyrolysis and is unstable at room temperature. Here, we investigate its spectroscopy in the soft X-ray regime at the C 1s, N 1s and O 1s edges. All 1s ionization energies are reported and X-ray absorption spectra reveal the transitions from the 1s to the π* state. Resonant and normal Auger electron spectra for the decay of the core hole states are recorded in a hemispherical analyzer. An assignment of the experimental spectra is provided with the aid of theoretical counterparts. The latter are using a valence configuration interaction representation of the intermediate and final state energies and wavefunctions, the one-center approximation for transition rates and band shapes according to the moment theory. The computed spectra are in very good agreement with the experimental data and most of the relevant bands are assigned. Additionally, we present a simple approach to estimate relative Auger transition rates on the basis of a minimal basis representation of the molecular orbitals. We demonstrate that this provides a qualitatively good and reliable estimate for several signals in the normal and resonant Auger electron spectra which have significantly different intensities in the decay of the three core holes.

Flash Vacuum Pyrolysis: Techniques and Reactions

Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) had its beginnings in the 1940s and 1950s, mainly through mass spectrometric detection of pyrolytically formed free radicals. In the 1960s many organic chemists started performing FVP experiments with the purpose of isolating new and interesting compounds and understanding pyrolysis processes. Meanwhile, many different types of apparatus and techniques have been developed, and it is the purpose of this review to present the most important methods as well as a survey of typical reactions and observations that can be achieved with the various techniques. This includes preparative FVP, chemical trapping reactions, matrix isolation, and low temperature spectroscopy of reactive intermediates and unstable molecules, the use of online mass, photoelectron, microwave, and millimeterwave spectroscopies, gas-phase laser pyrolysis, pulsed pyrolysis with supersonic jet expansion, very low pressure pyrolysis for kinetic investigations, solution-spray and falling-solid FVP for involatile compounds, and pyrolysis over solid supports and reagents. Moreover, the combination of FVP with matrix isolation and photochemistry is a powerful tool for investigations of reaction mechanism.

THEORETICAL RESEARCH ON THE REACTION MECHANISM OF O + HCNO

We apply a theoretical method to study the O + HCNO reaction, in which the products Pi with i = 1, 2, …, 8 are involved. It is carried out by means of CCSD(T)/6-311G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) + ZPVE computational method to detect a set of reasonable pathways. It shows that P5(H + NO + CO) and P8(HON + CO) are both the major product channel; in addition, there are some degrees of contributions from P1(HCO + NO) to form P5(H + NO + CO) ; P4(NH + CO2) is considered a minor product channel, and there are some degrees of contributions from P2(HNO + CO) to form P4(NH + CO2) ; whereas the other three channels, P3(NCO + OH) , P6(CNO + OH) , and P7(HCN + O2) are less favorable or even unfavorable. All these theoretical results are in harmony with the experimental facts.

Fine Theoretical Spectroscopy Using SAC-CI General-R Method: Outer- and Inner-Valence Ionization Spectra of N2O and HN3

Fine theoretical spectroscopy for the outer- and inner-valence ionization spectra has been presented by using the SAC-CI (symmetry adapted cluster-configuration interaction) general-R method applied to N2O and HN3. The SAC-CI general-R method accurately simulated the experimental spectra and the detailed assignments of the satellite peaks were proposed. The continuous peaks I ∼ V of N2O observed by the dipole (e,2e) spectroscopy were finely reproduced. In particular, the low-lying satellites were calculated in good agreement with the experiment; two 2Π shake-up states at the foot of the C state, 2Σ and 2Π states for the peak I. For HN3, new interpretation was proposed for the outer-valence region, namely, peaks 3 ∼ 5 are composed of the mixture of the single-electron main peaks and the two-electron shake-up peaks. Inner-valence ionization spectrum of HN3 was theoretically predicted for which no experimental spectrum has been reported.

Kinetics of the O + HCNO Reaction

The kinetics of the O + HCNO reaction were investigated by a relative rate technique using infrared diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Laser photolysis (355 nm) of NO2 was used to produce O atoms, followed by O atom reactions with CS2, NO2, and HCNO, and infrared detection of OCS product from the O + CS2 reaction. Analysis of the experiment data yields a rate constant of k1= (9.84 +/- 3.52) x 10-12 exp[(-195 +/- 120)/T)] (cm3 molecule-1 s-1) over the temperature range 298-375 K, with a value of k1 = (5.32 +/- 0.40) x 10-12 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 298 K. Infrared detection of product species indicates that CO producing channels, probably CO + NO + H, dominate the reaction.

Kinetics of the NCO + HCNO Reaction

The kinetics of the NCO + HCNO reaction were studied using infrared diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The total rate constant was measured to be k(1) = (1.58 +/- 0.20) x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) at 298 K. After detection of products and consideration of secondary chemistry (primarily O + HCNO and CN + HCNO), we conclude that NO + CO + HCN is the major product channel (phi = 0.92 +/- 0.04), with a minor contribution (phi = 0.04 +/- 0.02) from CO2 + HCNN.

Kinetics of the CN + HCNO Reaction

The kinetics of the CN + HCNO reaction were studied using laser-induced fluorescence and infrared diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The total rate constant was measured to be k(T) = (3.95 +/- 0.53) x 10(-11) exp[(287.1 +/- 44.5)/T] cm3 molec(-1) s(-1), over the temperature range 298-388 K, with a value of k1 = (1.04 +/- 0.1) x 10(-10) cm3 molec(-1) s(-1) at 298 K. After detection of products and consideration of secondary chemistry, we conclude that NO + HCCN is the only major product channel.

Kinetics of the OH + HCNO Reaction

The kinetics of the OH + HCNO reaction was studied. The total rate constant was measured by LIF detection of OH using two different OH precursors, both of which gave identical results. We obtain k = (2.69 +/- 0.41) x 10(-12) exp[(750.2 +/- 49.8)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over the temperature range 298-386 K, with a value of k = (3.39 +/- 0.3) x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) at 296 K. CO, H(2)CO, NO, and HNO products were detected using infrared laser absorption spectroscopy. On the basis of these measurements, we conclude that CO + H(2)NO and HNO + HCO are the major product channels, with a minor contribution from H(2)CO + NO.

Kinetics of the HCCO + NO2 Reaction

The kinetics of the HCCO + NO2 reaction were investigated using a laser photolysis/infrared diode laser absorption technique. Ethyl ethynyl ether (C2H5OCCH) was used as the HCCO radical precursor. Transient infrared detection of the HCCO radical was used to determine a total rate constant fit to the following expression: k1= (2.43 +/- 0.26) x 10(-11) exp[(171.1 +/- 36.9)/T] cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) over the temperature range of 298-423 K. Transient infrared detection of CO, CO2, and HCNO products was used to determine the following branching ratios at 298 K: phi(HCO + NO + CO) = 0.60 +/- 0.05 and phi(HCNO + CO2) = 0.40 +/- 0.05.

Penning ionization of N2O molecules by He*(2S3,1) and Ne*(P2,03) metastable atoms: A crossed beam study

The energetics of [Rg... N2O]* autoionizing collision complexes (where Rg=He or Ne) and their dynamical evolution have been studied in a crossed beam apparatus, respectively, by Penning ionization electron spectroscopy (PIES) and by mass spectrometry (MS) techniques in the thermal energy range. The PIES spectra, detected by an electron energy analyzer, were recorded for both complexes at four different collision energies. Such spectra allowed the determination of the energy shifts for Penning electron energy distributions, and the branching ratios for the population of different electronic states and for the vibrational population in the molecular nascent ions. For the [Ne...N2O]* collision complex it was found, by MS, that the autoionization leads to the formation of N2O+, NO+, O+, and NeN2O+ product ions whose total and partial cross sections were measured in the collision energy range between 0.03 and 0.2 eV. The results are analyzed exploiting current models for the Penning ionization process: the observed collision energy dependence in the PIES spectra as well as in the cross sections are correlated with the nature of the N2O molecule orbitals involved in the ionization and are discussed in term of the Rg-N2O interaction potentials, which are estimated by using a semiempirical method developed in our laboratory.

Product Channels of the HCCO + NO Reaction

The product branching ratio of the HCCO + NO reaction was investigated using the laser photolysis/infrared absorption technique. Ethyl ethynyl ether (C(2)H(5)OCCH) was used as the HCCO radical precursor. Transient infrared detection of CO, CO(2), and HCNO products was used to determine the following branching ratios at 296 K: phi(CO+HCNO) = 0.78 +/- 0.04 and phi(CO(2)+HCN) = 0.22 +/- 0.04. These values are in good agreement with some recent ab initio calculations.