Infrared spectroscopy of the methanol cation and its methylene-oxonium isomer

Infrared Spectroscopy of Neutral and Cationic Benzonitrile-Methanol Binary Clusters in Supersonic Jets

The formation of nitrogen-containing organic interstellar molecules is of great importance to reveal chemical processes and the origin of life on Earth. Benzonitrile (BN) is one of the simplest nitrogen-containing aromatic molecules in the interstellar medium (ISM) that has been detected in recent years. Methanol (CH3OH) exists widely in interstellar space with high reactivity. Herein, we measured the infrared (IR) spectra of neutral and cationic BN-CH3OH clusters by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Combining IR spectra with the density functional theory calculations, we reveal that the BN-CH3OH intends to form a cyclic H-bonded structure in neutral clusters. However, after the ionization of BN-CH3OH clusters, proton-shared N···H···O and N···H···C structures are confirmed to form between BN and CH3OH, with the minor coexistence of H-bond and O-π structures. The formation of the proton-shared structure expands our knowledge of the evolution of the life-related nitrogen-containing molecules in the universe and provides a possible pathway to the further study of biorelevant aromatic organic macromolecules.

A Facile Route for the Formation of Complex Nitrogen-Containing Prebiotic Molecules in the Interstellar Medium

Prebiotic molecules have often been identified in the interstellar medium and meteorite samples. However, we still have only a fragmentary knowledge of the mechanism of the evolutionary process of these prebiotic molecules. With the aid of state-of-the-art vacuum ultraviolet (VUV)-infrared (IR) spectroscopy and ab initio calculations, we reveal a new pathway leading to the formation of the biorelevant molecules carrying amine groups or peptide bonds via the single-photon ionization induced Michael/cyclization reaction of acrylonitrile (AN)-alcohol heterodimer complexes in the gas phase. In the reactions, not only N-H nitrilium cations with H⁺-N≡C-R Lewis structure but also cyclic amine cations with a peptide bond can be formed when the AN reacts with alcohols of increasing molecular size (such as ethanol, propanol, or butanol). This study suggests the possibility of unsaturated nitriles being reduced by ionized alcohols in space, which can further drive sequential Michael addition/cyclization reactions to form more complex biorelevant molecules.

The FELion cryogenic ion trap beam line at the FELIX free-electron laser laboratory: infrared signatures of primary alcohol cations

The FELion beamline – a cryogenic 22-pole trap for vibrational spectroscopy of molecular ions at the FELIX Laboratory.

Infrared Spectroscopic Study of the Acidic CH Bonds in Hydrated Clusters of Cationic Pentane

Infrared spectroscopy of the hydrated clusters of cationic pentane, which are generated through the vacuum ultraviolet photoionization in the gas phase, is carried out to probe the acidic properties of their CH bonds. The monohydrated pentane cation forms the proton-shared structure, in which the proton of CH in cationic pentane is shared between the pentyl radical and water molecule. In the di- and trihydrated clusters, the proton of CH is completely transferred to the water moiety so that the clusters are composed of the pentyl radical and protonated water cluster. These results indicate that two water molecules are enough to cause the proton transfer from CH of cationic pentane, and thus its acidity is highly enhanced with the ionization.

Low-Frequency CH Stretch Vibrations of Free Alkoxide Ions

CH stretches in hydrocarbon cations often shift to lower frequencies relative to neutral molecules, because they do not have sufficient electrons to give every bond an electron pair. A parallel effect in negatively charged species has not been previously observed. Here we show that CH bond weakening occurs in alkoxide anions as a consequence of hyperconjugation. The reasoning differs somewhat from the case of positively charged ions, but the net effect is the same: to lower CH stretching frequencies by hundreds of wavenumbers.

Hyperconjugation in diethyl ether cation versus diethyl sulfide cation

Electron donation from the CH bond to the single occupied orbital is observed through the large red shift in the CH stretching band for the diethyl ether cation.