Nonadiabatic photofragmentation dynamics of BrCN-

Probing the Potential Energy Surfaces of BrCN- by Dissociative Electron Attachment

State coupling certainly determines the topologic features of the molecular potential energy surface (PES) and potentially diversifies chemical reaction pathways. Here we report the new PESs of BrCN^- in the low-lying electronic states that are distinctly different from the previous predictions in the short Br-CN bond region but validated by the high-resolution ion velocity imaging measurements of low-energy dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to BrCN. Besides the vibrating CN^- ions produced in the fast Br-CN bond stretching motions, we confirm that the ro-vibrating CN^- ions with a nearly isotropic angular distribution are produced by receiving a torque in the combinational motion of Br-CN bond bending and stretching. The latter process is closely related to the potential well of BrCN^- at the first excited state A²Π_3/2 that arises from the Π-Σ state couplings. Our findings not only suggest that the PESs of other anionic cyanogen halides are in dire need of reexamination but also show that ion velocity imaging of the DEA process is a powerful experimental method for evaluating the theoretical PESs of molecular anions.

Anion Photoelectron Spectroscopy and High Level Ab Initio Calculations of the Halide–Nitric Oxide Dimer Complexes

Anion photoelectron spectra are presented for gas phase complexes formed between halide anions and nitric oxide, X−⋯NO where X− = Cl−, Br−, and I−. Electron binding energies are experimentally determined to be 3.82, 3.51, and 3.17 eV. Results from CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations are presented for the anion species, whereby a single minimum of Cs symmetry is predicted. Binding energies (D0) of 15.3, 13.3, and 11.7 kJ mol−1 are predicted from complete basis set limit extrapolation, and are found to be in line with previous experimental studies.

Reaction of CN(-) with F, Cl, O, and S Atoms: Attachment or Associative Detachment?

Highly correlated ab initio wave functions within the UCCSD(T)-F12 approach have been used to map the potential energy surfaces (PESs) describing the reactivity of the CN(-) (X(1)Σ(+)) anion with neutral atoms present in interstellar media (F, Cl, O, and S). With the H atom, for comparison, the reaction [CN(-)((1)Σ(+)) + H((2)S)] evolves along the PES of the X(2)Σ(+) electronic ground state of HCN(-) (or HNC(-)) until the crossing with the X(1)Σ(+) electronic ground state of HCN (or HNC), where electron detachment occurs. The process is rather similar to the two halogen atoms F and Cl, with some differences due to the larger electron affinity of the halogens, making possible the existence of ClCN(-) in a (2)Σ(+) state. The reaction of CN(-) with O and S atoms proceeds via a multistep mechanism. The lowest electronic state at long distance, the (3)Π state arising from the [CN(-)((1)Σ(+)) + O/S((3)P)] reaction channel, does not correlate with the X(1)Σ(+) ground state of the XCN(-) anion (X = O or S). This (3)Π state and its bent components cross at medium RXC (RXN) distances the X(1)Σ(+) ground state of XCN(-) or XNC(-), and at shorter distances the X(2)Π state of the neutral XCN or XNC where the extra electron can detach. With both O and S atoms, it is shown that the spin-orbit couplings can efficiently lead the [CN(-)((1)Σ(+)) + O/S((3)P)] reaction toward the stable X(1)Σ(+) ground state of XCN(-) and XNC(-).