Isomerization of cyanopropyne in solid argon.

Cyanopropyne, CH3-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-CN, is a simple molecule whose photochemistry is still unexplored. Here we investigate the UV photolysis of this astrophysically significant nitrile trapped in solid argon. The FTIR study was assisted with 15N-isotopic substitution data and with DFT-level computations including the analyses of ground- and excited-state potential energy surfaces. Cyanopropyne was found to decay mainly via a two-step isomerization process. Infrared absorption spectra evolved to show signals from allenyl cyanide, CH2[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-CN, which then further convert into propargyl cyanide, H-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-CH2-CN. Some evidence for the presence of allenyl isocyanide, propargyl isocyanide, 3-cyanocyclopropene, and 1,2,3-butatrien-1-imine under particular experimental conditions was also observed. Although cyano/isocyano interconversion has been observed during photolysis of other closely related species in solid argon matrices, including H-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-CN, no evidence could be found for production of 1-isocyano-1-propyne, CH3-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-NC for these experiments.

Density Functional Exploration of C4H3N Isomers.

Molecules having C4H3N stoichiometry are of astrophysical interest. Two of these, methylcyanoacetylene (CH3C3N) and its structural isomer allenyl cyanide (H2CCCHN), have been observed in interstellar space, while several more have been examined in laboratories. Here we describe, for a broad range of C4H3N isomers, density functional calculations (B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ) of molecular parameters including the energetics, geometries, rotational constants, electric dipole moments, polarizabilities, vibrational IR frequencies, IR absorption intensities, and Raman activities. Singlet-triplet splittings as well as singlet vertical electronic excitation energies are given for selected species. The identification of less stable C4H3N molecules, generated in ongoing spectroscopic experiments, relies heavily on these quantum chemical predictions.

Zwitterion formation in titan ice analogs: reaction between HC3N and NH3.

A zwitterion is formed in the laboratory at low temperatures in the solid phase from the thermal reaction of HC(3)N and NH(3). We report for the first time its infrared spectrum. We study its reaction using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Its reaction rate is estimated to be k(T) = 2.9 × 10(5) exp(-2.3 ± 0.1 (kJ mol(-1))/RT). Calculations using density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31g**) are used to characterize all the species (complexes, zwitterions, and transition states) and are in good agreement with the infrared spectra. The structure of the zwitterion is determined planar and it is characterized by a N-C bond around 1.5 Å.

Electronic absorption and phosphorescence of cyanodiacetylene.

Electronic absorption and emission spectra have been investigated for cyanodiacetylene, HC(5)N, an astrophysically relevant molecule. The analysis of gas-phase absorption was assisted with the parallel rare gas matrix isolation experiments and with density functional theory (DFT) predictions concerning the excited electronic states. Mid-UV systems B (1)Delta<--X (1)Sigma(+) (origin at 282.5 nm) and A (1)Sigma(-)<--X (1)Sigma(+) (306.8 nm) were observed. Vibronic assignments have been facilitated by the discovery of the visible phosphorescence a (3)Sigma(+)<--X (1)Sigma(+) in solid Ar, Kr, and Xe. Phosphorescence excitation spectra, as well as UV absorption measurements in rare gas matrices, revealed the enhancement of A<--X transitions. The vibronic structure of dispersed phosphorescence spectra supplied new data concerning the ground state bending fundamentals of matrix-isolated HC(5)N. The experimental singlet-triplet splitting, 2.92 eV in Ar, closely matches the value of 3.0 eV predicted by DFT.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of HC5N adsorption on amorphous ice surface: simulation of the interstellar chemistry.

HC 5N adsorbed on amorphous water ice at 10 K presents an interaction with the ice surface and induces the restructuring of the ice amorphous bulk. Warming up the sample induces the HC 5N desorption from the H 2O ice film, between 120 and 160 K, and the associated desorption energy is 90 kJ/mol. This value is in good agreement with that calculated E d (80 kJ/mol) and gives evidence that the amorphous ice surface is essentially dynamic. From theoretical calculations, it is shown that the HC 5N moiety presents a curvature and is no more linear and stabilized by two strong N...H bonds (2.09 and 2.29 A) and one H...O bond (1.84 A).

Reaction of iminopropadienones with amines--formation of zwitterionic intermediates, ketenes, and ketenimines.

Five aryliminopropadienones 4a- d have been synthesized by flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) by using two different precursors in each case. These compounds were deposited at 50 K at a pressure of ca. 10(-6) mbar together with three different nucleophiles, namely, trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA), and diethylamine (DEA), in order to study their reactions as neat solids during warm-up by FTIR spectroscopy. The reaction with TMA showed that a zwitterionic species (5 and/or 6) was formed in all the cases. With DMA and DEA, an alpha-oxoketenimine and/or an imidoylketene (7 and 8 or 9 and 10) was formed as the final product. In addition, several bands were observed, which can be assigned to zwitterionic intermediates (11 or 12). Optimized structures and vibrational spectra for all products were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory by using the polarizable continuum model (epsilon = 5).

Interstellar ice surface site modification induced by dicyanoacetylene adsorption.

Dicyanoacetylene adsorbed on amorphous ice water at 10 K presents an interaction with the dangling H site and induces a s(4) adsorption site formation due to the restructuring of the ice bulk. Warming up the sample provokes the dicyanoacetylene desorption from the H(2)O ice film, which could be due to the beginning of the ice crystallization process. The desorption activation energy measured by temperature-programmed desorption (E(d) = 42 +/- 5 kJ x mol(-1)) is in good agreement with that calculated (E(d) = 46 kJ x mol(-1)) and gives evidence of a hydrogen-bonded adsorbed state on amorphous ice films.

Photochemical activity of Titan's low-altitude condensed haze.

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn and similar to Earth in many aspects, has unique orange-yellow colour that comes from its atmospheric haze, whose formation and dynamics are far from well understood. Present models assume that Titan's tholin-like haze formation occurs high in atmosphere through gas-phase chemical reactions initiated by high-energy solar radiation. Here we address an important question: Is the lower atmosphere of Titan photochemically active or inert? We demonstrate that indeed tholin-like haze formation could occur on condensed aerosols throughout the atmospheric column of Titan. Detected in Titan's atmosphere, dicyanoacetylene (C4N2) is used in our laboratory simulations as a model system for other larger unsaturated condensing compounds. We show that C4N2 ices undergo condensed-phase photopolymerization (tholin formation) at wavelengths as long as 355 nm pertinent to solar radiation reaching a large portion of Titan's atmosphere, almost close to the surface.

C(5)N(-) anion and new carbenic isomers of cyanodiacetylene: a matrix isolation IR study.

Products of the vacuum-UV photolysis of cyanodiacetylene (HC(5)N) in solid argon -- the anion C(5)N(-), imine HNC(5), and the branched carbene C(4)(H)CN -- have been identified by IR absorption spectroscopy, in addition to the already discovered isonitrile HC(4)NC. Spectral assignments were assisted by deuterium substitution experiments, by BD(T) calculations, and by the results of a recent density functional theory study.

Water/cyanobutadiyne complexes: an infrared matrix isolation and theoretical study.

The structures and energies of the 1:1 HC5N:H2O complexes in solid argon matrices have been investigated using FTIR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations, at the B3LYP/6-31G** and MP2/6-31G** levels of theory. Two types of 1:1 complexes are observed. The first one corresponds to the NH structure characterized by a hydrogen bond between H2O and the nitrogen of HC5N. The second corresponds to the OH form that involves a van der Waals interaction between the hydrogen of HC5N and the oxygen of water. HC5N can thus act either as an electrophile or as a nucleophile in complexes with water.

Spectroscopy of cyanodiacetylene in solid argon and the photochemical generation of isocyanodiacetylene.

Following the measurements of UV and mid-IR spectra of cyanodiacetylene, H-(CC)2-CN, isolated in low temperature Ar matrices, the first photochemical study on this compound and on its 2H isotopomer was carried out with the laser light tuned to 267 nm and with far-UV discharge lamps. Evidence for the formation of isocyanodiacetylene, H-(CC)2-NC, was found in infrared absorption spectra interpreted with the aid of available theoretical predictions.

UV photolysis of C4N2 in water ices: new possible route of synthesis of ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium formate.

Laboratory experiments involving ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of dicyanoacetylene (C(4)N(2)) trapped in water ice at 10 K have been conducted and monitored by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). By the support of isotopic experiments and theoretical calculations, the irradiation of a DCA/H(2)O ice mixture at lambda > 230 nm has been found to be a possible source of NH(4)(+)HCO(3)(-) (ammonium bicarbonate) and NH(4)(+)HCOO(-) (ammonium formate). These latter compounds can arise from a proton-transfer reaction between H(2)O and the CN radical, which is issued from photolyzed C(4)N(2).

Photoreactivity of cyanoacetylene trapped in water ice: an infrared, isotopic and theoretical study.

Photoreactivity of cyanoacetylene with water was successively studied in cryogenic matrixes and in the solid phase at lambda > 120 nm. These studies were performed using FTIR spectroscopy, isotopic experiments and DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G level of theory. The photolysis of cyanoacetylene complexed with water in an argon cryogenic matrix led to the formation of two products. The first one corresponds to the cyanoketene and the second to the HCN:C2O complex. Trapped in water ice and submitted to UV photolysis, the cyanoacetylene molecule shows great photoreactivity. Indeed, besides the cyanoketene and cyanhydric acid, we characterized and identified the formation of other compounds issued from the addition of water to the CC triple bond of cyanoacetylene.

Breaking of ketene bonds during HCl addition to trimethylsilylketene.

IR spectroscopy is coupled with the matrix isolation technique to study the reaction of trimethylsilylketene with HCl. From 50 K trimethylsilylketene reacts with hydrogen chloride, leading to the cleavage of the Si-C bond and the formation of trimethylsilyl chloride and acetyl chloride, through intermediate trimethylsilylacetyl chloride which was identified. A reaction profile for this result is proposed based on a theoretical study carried out at the DFT level.