Carbon Atom Condensation on NH3-H2O Ices. An Alternative Pathway to Interstellar Methanimine and Methylamine.

The recent discovery of the nature and behavior of carbon atoms interacting with interstellar ices has prompted a number of investigations on the chemistry initiated by carbon accretion on icy interstellar dust. In this work, we expand the range of processes promoted by carbon accretion to the chemistry initiated by the interaction of this atom with ammonia (NH3) using quantum chemical calculations. We found that carbon addition to the ammonia molecule forms a rather stable radical, CNH3, that is easily hydrogenated. The complete hydrogenation network is later studied. Our calculations reveal that while conversion to simpler molecules like HCN and HNC is indeed a possible outcome promoted by H-abstraction reactions, methylamine is also easily formed (CH3NH2). In fact, the stability of methylamine against hydrogen abstraction makes this molecule the preferred product of the reaction network. Our results serve as a stepping stone toward the accurate modeling of C-addition reactions in realistic astrochemical kinetic models.

Infrared spectra of isoquinolinium (iso-C9H7NH+) and isoquinolinyl radicals (iso-C9H7NH and 1-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-iso-HC9H7N) isolated in solid para-hydrogen.

Protonated polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (H+PANH) are prospective candidates that may contribute to interstellar unidentified infrared (UIR) emission bands because protonation enhances the relative intensities of the bands near 6.2, 7.7 and 8.6 µm, and the presence of the N atom induces a blue shift of the ring-stretching modes so that the spectra of H+PANH match better with the 6.2 µm feature in class-A UIR spectra. We report the infrared (IR) spectra of protonated isoquinoline (the 2-isoquinolinium cation, iso-C9H7NH+), its neutral counterpart (the 2-isoquinolinyl radical, iso-C9H7NH), and another mono-hydrogenated product (the 6-isoquinolinyl radical, 6-iso-HC9H7N), produced on the electron-bombardment of a mixture of isoquinoline (iso-C9H7N) with excess para-hydrogen (p-H2) during matrix deposition at 3.2 K. To generate additional isomers of hydrogenated isoquinoline, we irradiated iso-C9H7N/Cl2/p-H2 matrices at 365 nm to generate Cl atoms, followed by IR irradiation to generate H atoms via Cl + H2 (v = 1) → HCl + H; the H atoms thus generated reacted with iso-C9H7N. In addition to iso-C9H7NH and 6-iso-HC9H7N observed in the electron-bombardment experiments, we identified six additional hydrogenated isoquinoline species, 1-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 7- and 8-iso-HC9H7N, via their IR spectra; hydrogenation on the N atom and all available carbon atoms except for the two sharing carbon atoms on the fused ring was observed. Spectral groupings were achieved according to their behaviors after maintenance of the matrix in darkness and on secondary photolysis at various wavelengths. The assignments were supported via comparison of the experimental results with the vibrational wavenumbers and IR intensities of possible isomers predicted using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method. The implications in the identification of the UIR band are discussed.

Radical reactions on interstellar icy dust grains: Experimental investigations of elementary processes.

Molecular clouds (MCs) in space are the birthplace of various molecular species. Chemical reactions occurring on the cryogenic surfaces of cosmic icy dust grains have been considered to play important roles in the formation of these species. Radical reactions are crucial because they often have low barriers and thus proceed even at low temperatures such as ∼10 K. Since the 2000s, laboratory experiments conducted under low-temperature, high-vacuum conditions that mimic MC environments have revealed the elementary physicochemical processes on icy dust grains. In this review, experiments conducted by our group in this context are explored, with a focus on radical reactions on the surface of icy dust analogues, leading to the formation of astronomically abundant molecules such as H2, H2O, H2CO, and CH3OH and deuterium fractionation processes. The development of highly sensitive, non-destructive methods for detecting adsorbates and their utilization for clarifying the behavior of free radicals on ice, which contribute to the formation of complex organic molecules, are also described.

Behavior of Hydroxyl Radicals on Water Ice at Low Temperatures.

ConspectusBecause chemical reactions on/in cosmic ice dust grains covered by amorphous solid water (ASW) play important roles in generating a variety of molecules, many experimental and theoretical studies have focused on the chemical processes occurring on the ASW surface. In laboratory experiments, conventional spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric detection of stable products is generally employed to deduce reaction channels and mechanisms. However, despite their importance, the details of chemical reactions involving reactive species (i.e., free radicals) have not been clarified because of the absence of experimental methods for in situ detection of radicals. Because OH radicals can be easily produced in interstellar conditions by not only the photolysis and/or ion bombardments of H2O but also the reaction of H and O atoms, they are thought to be one of the most abundant radicals on ice dust. In this context, the development of a close monitoring method of OH radicals on the ASW surface may help to elucidate the chemical reactions occurring on the ASW surface.Recently, to detect OH radicals adsorbed on the ASW surface, we applied our developed method to sensitively and selectively detect surface adsorbates with a combination of photostimulated desorption and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization techniques. Using this method, we showed that an OH radical on the ASW surface can be desorbed upon one-photon absorption at 532 nm, at which wavelength both the OH radical and H2O molecule are transparent. Theoretical calculations addressing an OH radical adsorbed on water clusters indicated that the valence A-X transition of an OH radical significantly red-shifts by ∼2 eV when the OH radical is strongly adsorbed to ice through three hydrogen bonds. With this method, the number density of surface OH can be monitored as a snapshot so that the behaviors of OH radicals, such as surface diffusion, can be studied. Moreover, the development of a system for studying the wavelength dependence of photodesorption may establish a foundation for future research investigating the absorption spectra of surface adsorbed species.Owing to the large electron affinity of OH radicals on ice, they are expected to easily become OH- by electron attachment on the ASW surface. We characterized the behavior of OH- on ASW at low temperatures, which may be relevant not only to physicochemical processes on cosmic ice dust and planetary atmosphere but also to understanding the electrochemical properties of ice. A negative constant current was found when ASW at temperatures below 50 K was exposed to both UV photons and electrons. It was demonstrated that the negative current is initiated by the formation of OH- ions on the ASW surface, and they are transported to the bulk via the proton-hole transfer mechanism, which was predicted 100 years ago as a mirror image of proton transfer known as the Grotthuss mechanism. These results indicate that OH- ions are readily transported to the bulk ice and further induce reactions, even at low temperatures where thermal diffusion is negligible. Therefore, in-mantle chemical processes that have been considered inactive at low temperatures are worth reevaluating.

Infrared and Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectra of Sumanene Isolated in Solid para-Hydrogen.

The para-hydrogen (p-H2) matrix-isolation technique has been scarcely used to record electronic absorption and emission spectra. It is expected that its small matrix shifts due to diminished molecular interactions and the softness of the lattice might be advantageous to help identify the carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands. In this article, we present infrared, fluorescence excitation, and dispersed fluorescence spectra of sumanene (C21H12), a bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and a fragment of C60, isolated in solid p-H2. The recorded vibrational wavenumbers from infrared and dispersed fluorescence agree with the scaled harmonic vibrational wavenumbers calculated with the B3PW91/6-311++G(2d,2p) and B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) methods. The recorded fluorescence excitation spectra are consistent with the spectra of jet-cooled gas-phase C21H12 reported previously by Kunishige et al. We found a rather small matrix shift of 55 cm-1 for the S1-S0 electronic transition origin located at 27 888 cm-1. Vibrational wavenumbers associated with the S1 state of C21H12 inferred from the experimental spectrum can be assigned mostly to fundamental normal modes; they are in satisfactory agreement with scaled harmonic vibrational wavenumbers calculated at the TD-B3PW91/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory. Significantly more vibrational modes of the S1 state were identified as compared with those in the reported gas-phase work. The potential of p-H2 matrix-isolation spectroscopy to provide electronic excitation spectra suitable for comparison to astronomical observations is discussed by comparing the spectra of C21H12 isolated in solid p-H2 and in solid Ne, a matrix host commonly employed in astrochemistry.

Two-Body Metastable Dissociation of n-Pentane and n-Hexane Triplet Dications in Intense Femtosecond-Laser Fields.

Mass spectra of n-pentane and n-hexane ionized through femtosecond-laser pulses were measured using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Fragment ions ejected with large kinetic energies were identified as side peaks in which a two-body dissociation pathway, C5H12++ → C2H5+ + C3H7+, was identified for n-pentane, and two for n-hexane, C6H14++ → C2H5+ + C4H9+ and C3H7+ + C3H7+, based on momentum matching of the fragments. The two-body dissociation pathways were observed when the polarization direction of the linearly polarized laser light was perpendicular to the molecular axis. However, when the polarization direction was parallel to the molecular axis or the laser light was circularly polarized, these signals were weak or difficult to identify. These results suggest that the two-body dissociation pathways are caused by nonsequential double ionization (NSDI), which begins with ionization from the π-type second highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO-1) via the laser electric field perpendicular to the molecular axis rather than bonding the σ-type HOMO. Quantum chemical calculations show that the dication has a triplet metastable state with the same formula as the neutral state (i.e., 3[CH3-(CH2)n-CH3]++). Therefore, the relevant two-body dissociation channels open through transition states with the (HOMO)1(HOMO-1)1 electron configuration and the estimated kinetic energy release values correlate with those observed.

Infrared Spectra of Monohydrogenated Aniline, ortho- and para-HC6H5NH2, Generated in Solid para-Hydrogen.

The isomers of monohydrogenated aniline (HC6H5NH2) are regarded as important intermediates in reduction reactions of aniline, but their spectral identification has been limited to electron paramagnetic resonance in an adamantane matrix. We report here infrared (IR) spectra of two least-energy isomers of HC6H5NH2, produced on electron bombardment during the deposition of a matrix of aniline and para-hydrogen at 3.2 K. The intensities of IR lines of HC6H5NH2 increased during maintenance of the electron-bombarded matrix in darkness for a prolonged period because of the neutralization of protonated aniline, H+C6H5NH2, by trapped electrons and further reactions between aniline and the unreacted hydrogen atoms that were produced during electron bombardment. The observed lines were grouped according to their behaviors on secondary photolysis with light at 520, 465, and 375 nm. On comparison of experimental spectra with quantum chemically predicted spectra for four possible isomers of HC6H5NH2, lines in one group were assigned to the most stable ortho-HC6H5NH2 and those in the other group were assigned to the secondmost stable para-HC6H5NH2. Their photolytic behaviors at varied wavelengths are consistent with predicted ultraviolet absorption bands. The mechanisms of formation of these isomers are discussed according to semiquantitative analysis.

Infrared Spectra of Isomers of Protonated Aniline in Solid para-Hydrogen.

The protonation sites of aniline molecule play important roles in its chemical reactions, but the preferred protonation site of gaseous aniline has yet to be determined. In this work, we recorded infrared (IR) absorption spectra of three isomers of protonated aniline, H+C6H5NH2, produced on electron bombardment during matrix deposition at 3.2 K of a mixture of aniline and para-H2. The intensities of IR lines of H+C6H5NH2 decreased during maintenance of the electron-bombarded matrix in darkness because of neutralization with electrons that were slowly released from their trapping sites. The observed lines were classified into three groups according to their behavior upon secondary photolysis with light at 375 and 254 nm and assigned to para-, amino-, and ortho-H+C6H5NH2, the three most stable isomers of protonated aniline, according to comparison of experimental spectra with quantum-chemically predicted spectra of five possible isomers of H+C6H5NH2. The spectra of para- and ortho-H+C6H5NH2 are newly distinguished. The approximate relative abundance of these isomers in solid p-H2 was para:amino:ortho ≈ (1.0 ± 0.1):(1.0 ± 0.6):(0.6 ± 0.1). The possible mechanisms of formation are discussed.

Infrared spectroscopy of H+(CO)2 in the gas phase and in para-hydrogen matrices.

The H+(CO)2 and D+(CO)2 molecular ions were investigated by infrared spectroscopy in the gas phase and in para-hydrogen matrices. In the gas phase, ions were generated in a supersonic molecular beam by a pulsed electrical discharge. After extraction into a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, the ions were mass selected and probed by infrared laser photodissociation spectroscopy in the 700 cm-1-3500 cm-1 region. Spectra were measured using either argon or neon tagging, as well as tagging with an excess CO molecule. In solid para-hydrogen, ions were generated by electron bombardment of a mixture of CO and hydrogen, and absorption spectra were recorded in the 400 cm-1-4000 cm-1 region with a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer. A comparison of the measured spectra with the predictions of anharmonic theory at the CCSD(T)/ANO1 level suggests that the predominant isomers formed by either argon tagging or para-hydrogen isolation are higher lying (+7.8 kcal mol-1), less symmetric isomers, and not the global minimum proton-bound dimer. Changing the formation environment or tagging strategy produces other non-centrosymmetric structures, but there is no spectroscopic evidence for the centrosymmetric proton-bound dimer. The formation of higher energy isomers may be caused by a kinetic effect, such as the binding of X (=Ar, Ne, or H2) to H+(CO) prior to the formation of X H+(CO)2. Regardless, there is a strong tendency to produce non-centrosymmetric structures in which HCO+ remains an intact core ion.

Infrared spectrum of hydrogenated corannulene rim-HC20H10 isolated in solid para-hydrogen.

Hydrogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been proposed to be carriers of the interstellar unidentified infrared (UIR) emission bands and the catalysts for formation of H2; spectral characterizations of these species are hence important. We report the infrared (IR) spectrum of mono-hydrogenated corannulene (HC20H10) in solid para-hydrogen (p-H2). In experiments of electron bombardment of a mixture of corannulene and p-H2 during deposition of a matrix at 3.2 K, two groups of spectral lines increased with time during maintenance of the matrix in darkness after deposition. Lines in one group were assigned to the most stable isomer of hydrogenated corannulene, rim-HC20H10, according to the expected chemistry and a comparison with scaled harmonic vibrational wavenumbers and IR intensities predicted with the B3PW91/6-311++G(2d,2p) method. The lines in the other group do not agree with predicted spectra of other HC20H10 isomers and remain unassigned. Alternative hydrogenation was achieved with H atoms produced photochemically in the infrared-induced reaction Cl + H2 (v = 1) → H + HCl in a Cl2/C20H10/p-H2 matrix. With this method, only lines attributable to rim-HC20H10 were observed, indicating that hydrogenation via a quantum-mechanical tunneling mechanism produces preferably the least-energy rim-HC20H10 regardless of similar barrier heights and widths for the formation of rim-HC20H10 and hub-HC20H10. The mechanisms of formation in both experiments are discussed. The bands near 3.3 and 3.4 µm of rim-HC20H10 agree with the UIR emission bands in position and relative intensity, but other bands do not match satisfactorily with the UIR bands.

Electronic and vibrational structure in the S0 and S1 states of corannulene.

Corannulene is a nonplanar aromatic hydrocarbon also known as a buckybowl. Its electronic and vibrational structure has been investigated by analyzing its fluorescence excitation spectrum and dispersed fluorescence spectrum in a supersonic jet. Its spectral features are in keeping with the expectation, confirmed by some previous results, that it has fivefold or C5v symmetry. The observed prominent vibronic bands in the S1 ← S0 transition have been assigned to e1 and e2 bands on the basis of theoretical calculations so that the S1 state was assigned to 1E2. The symmetry adapted cluster configuration interaction calculation supports this assignment of the S1 electronic state, although the time-dependent density functional theory calculation suggests that the S1 state is 1A2. It has also been shown that the normal coordinates for strong vibronic bands mainly include out-of-plane vibrational motion. The rotational envelopes are well explained by taking account of the Coriolis interaction between the degenerate vibrational and rotational levels. The mechanism of bowl-to-bowl inversion is also discussed with the results of theoretical calculations regarding the barrier to inversion and metastable conformation.

Activation of Molecular Hydrogen by Arylcarbenes.

The hydrogenation reactions of diphenylcarbene 1, fluorenylidene 2, and dibenzocycloheptadienylidene 3 were investigated in solid H2 and D2 matrices and in H2 - and D2 -doped argon matrices at cryogenic temperatures. The reactivity of the carbenes towards H2 increases in the order 1<3<2. Whereas 1 is stable in solid H2 , 2 and 3 react fast under the same conditions via quantum chemical tunneling. In D2 both 1 and 3 are stable, whereas 2 slowly reacts. The different reactivity of the three carbenes is rationalized in terms of differing carbene stabilization energies.

Spectroscopy of prospective interstellar ions and radicals isolated in para-hydrogen matrices.

para-Hydrogen (p-H2) serves as a new host in matrix-isolation experiments for an investigation of species of astrochemical interest. Protonated and mono-hydrogenated species are produced upon electron bombardment during deposition of p-H2 containing a precursor in a small proportion. The applications of this novel technique to generate protonated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (H+PAH), protonated polycyclic nitrogen heterocycles (H+PANH), and their neutral counterparts, which are important in the identification of interstellar unidentified infrared emission bands, demonstrate its superiority over other methods. The clean production with little fragmentation, ease of distinction between protonated and neutral species, narrow lines and reliable relative infrared intensities of the lines, and broad coverage of the spectral range associated with this method enable us to assign the isomers unambiguously. The application of this method to the protonation of small molecules is more complicated partly because of the feasible fragmentation and reactions, and partly because of the possible proton sharing between the species of interest and H2, but, with isotopic experiments and secondary photolysis, definitive assignments are practicable. Furthermore, the true relative infrared intensities are critical to a comparison of experimental results with data from theoretical calculations. The spectra of a proton-shared species in solid p-H2 might provide insight into a search for spectra of proton-bound species in interstellar media. Investigations of hydrogenated species involving the photolysis of Cl2 or precursors of OH complement those using electron bombardment and provide an improved ratio of signal to noise. With careful grouping of observed lines after secondary photolysis and a comparison with theoretical predictions, various isomers of these species have been determined. This photolytic technique has been applied in an investigation of hydrogenated PAH and PANH, and the hydrogenation reactions of small molecules, which are important in interstellar ice and the evolution of life. The electronic transitions of molecules in solid p-H2 have been little investigated. The matrix shift of the origins of transitions and the spectral width seem to be much smaller than those of noble-gas matrices; these features might facilitate a direct comparison of matrix spectra with diffuse interstellar bands, but further data are required to assess this possibility. The advantages and disadvantages of applying these techniques of p-H2 matrix isolation to astrochemical research and their future perspectives are discussed.

Infrared spectra of 3-hydroxy-(1H)-pyridinium cation and 3-hydroxy-(1H)-pyridinyl radical isolated in solid para-hydrogen.

As pyridine and its derivatives are regarded as building blocks of nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, spectral identifications of their protonated and hydrogenated species are important. The infrared (IR) absorption spectra of the 3-hydroxy-(1H)-pyridinium cation, 3-C5H4(OH)NH+, and the 3-hydroxy-(1H)-pyridinyl radical, 3-C5H4(OH)NH, produced on electron bombardment during deposition of a mixture of 3-hydroxypyridine, 3-C5H4(OH)N, and para-H2 to form a matrix at 3.2 K were recorded. Intense IR absorption lines of trans-3-C5H4(OH)NH+ at 3594.4, 3380.0, 1610.6, 1562.2, 1319.4, 1193.8, 1167.5, and 780.4 cm-1 and eleven weaker ones decreased in intensity after the matrix was maintained in darkness for 20 h, whereas lines of trans-3-C5H4(OH)NH at 3646.2, 3493.4, 3488.7, 1546.7, 1349.6, 1244.1, 1209.1, 1177.3, 979.8, and 685.2 cm-1 and nine weaker ones increased. The intensities of lines of trans-3-C5H4(OH)NH decreased upon irradiation at 520 nm and diminished nearly completely upon irradiation at 450 nm, whereas those of trans-3-C5H4(OH)NH+ remained unchanged upon irradiation at 370, 450, and 520 nm. Observed vibrational wavenumbers and relative intensities of these species agree satisfactorily with the scaled harmonic vibrational wavenumbers and IR intensities predicted with the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ method. The observed 3-C5H4(OH)NH+ cation and 3-C5H4(OH)NH radical are predicted to be the most stable species among all possible isomers by quantum-chemical calculations.

Infrared spectra of HSCS+, c-HSCS, and HCS2- produced on electron bombardment of CS2 in solid para-hydrogen.

We report infrared (IR) spectra of HSCS+, c-HSCS, HCS2-, and other species produced on electron bombardment of a mixture of CS2 and para-hydrogen (p-H2) during deposition at 3.2 K. After maintenance of the deposited matrix in darkness for 12 h, the intensities of the absorption lines of HSCS+ at 2477.2 (ν1), 1525.6 (ν2), and 919.6 cm-1 (ν3) decreased through neutralization of HSCS+ with trapped electrons. During this period, the intensities of the lines of HCS2- at 2875.7 (ν1), 1249.9 (ν5), 1003.2 (ν6), and 814.3 cm-1 (ν4) increased due to reaction between H and CS2-. The intensities of the lines observed at 2312.7 and 889.0 cm-1, which are assigned to the c-HSCS radical, increased after maintenance in darkness and greatly diminished after irradiation at 373 nm. The IR spectra of HSCS+, HCS2-, and c-HSCS are reported for the first time. The IR absorption lines of the t-HSCS radical, t-HC(S)SH, and c-HC(S)SH were also identified; their wavenumbers are similar to those reported for these species in an Ar matrix. The corresponding spectra of the 13C, 34S, and D isotopic variants of these species were observed. The assignments were made according to the expected chemical behavior, predicted potential energies of associated reactions, and a comparison of observed and predicted wavenumbers and their 13C, 34S, and D isotopic ratios. In contrast to the observed significant red shifts of the OH-stretching wavenumbers of HOCO+ and HOCS+ in solid p-H2 compared to those in the gaseous phase due to proton sharing with H2, the wavenumber of the HS-stretching mode of HSCS+ in solid p-H2 (2477.2 cm-1) is similar to the anharmonic wavenumber of HSCS+ (2424 cm-1) predicted with the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ method, indicating that the sharing of a proton between HSCS+ and neighboring H2 molecules is insignificant.

Infrared spectra and anharmonic coupling of proton-bound nitrogen dimers N2-H+-N2, N2-D+-N2, and 15N2-H+-15N2 in solid para-hydrogen.

The proton-bound nitrogen dimer, N2-H+-N2, and its isotopologues were investigated by means of vibrational spectroscopy. These species were produced upon electron bombardment of mixtures of N2 (or 15N2) and para-hydrogen (p-H2) or normal-D2 (n-D2) during deposition at 3.2 K. Reduced-dimension anharmonic vibrational Schrödinger equations were constructed to account for the strong anharmonic effects in these protonated species. The fundamental lines of proton motions in N2-H+-N2 were observed at 715.0 (NH+N antisymmetric stretch, ν4), 1129.6 (NH+N bend, ν6), and 2352.7 (antisymmetric NN/NN stretch, ν3) cm-1, in agreement with values of 763, 1144, and 2423 cm-1 predicted with anharmonic calculations using the discrete-variable representation (DVR) method at the CCSD/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The lines at 1030.2 and 1395.5 cm-1 were assigned to combination bands involving nν2 + ν4 (n = 1 and 2) according to theoretical calculations; ν2 is the N2N2 stretching mode. For 15N2-H+-15N2 in solid p-H2, the corresponding major lines were observed at 710.0 (ν4), 1016.7 (ν2 + ν4), 1124.3 (ν6), 1384.8 (2ν2 + ν4), and 2274.9 (ν3) cm-1. For N2-D+-N2 in solid n-D2, the corresponding major lines were observed at 494.0 (ν4), 840.7 (ν2 + ν4), 825.5 (ν6), and 2356.2 (ν3) cm-1. In addition, two lines at 762.0 (weak) and 808.3 cm-1 were tentatively assigned to be some modes of N2-H+-N2 perturbed or activated by a third N2 near the proton.

Detection of Neutral Species in the MALDI Plume Using Femtosecond Laser Ionization: Quantitative Analysis of MALDI-MS Signals Based on a Semiequilibrium Proton Transfer Model.

We investigated neutral species in the matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) plume using femtosecond laser ionization spectrometry with simultaneous measurement of the standard MALDI spectrum of the identical MALDI event induced by pulsed UV laser irradiation. The ratio of neutral species in the plume [A]p/[M]p (A = phenylalanine (Phe) or alanine (Ala), M = 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB)) was confirmed to be the same as that of the sample mixture in the range of [A]0/[M]0 = 4 × 10-4-1, indicating the validity of the widely adopted approximation [A]p/[M]p = [A]0/[M]0 in the reaction quotient of the proton transfer reaction MH+ + A ⇄ M + AH+. An effective parameter representing the extent of thermal equilibrium in the thermal proton transfer model is introduced for the first time. Numerical simulation based on this semiequilibrium model successfully reproduced variations of MALDI signal intensities AH+ and MH+ with two parameters: the fraction of ionized matrix a ≤ 10-5 and an effective temperature T = 1200 and 1100 K for Phe/DHB and Ala/DHB systems, respectively. These values show good agreement with those determined previously by different experimental approaches. The extent of thermal equilibrium was determined to be 95% and 98% for Phe/DHB and Ala/DHB systems, respectively, suggesting that the proton transfer reactions almost proceed to their thermal equilibrium.

Infrared spectra of ovalene (C32H14) and hydrogenated ovalene (C32H15˙) in solid para-hydrogen.

We report the infrared (IR) spectra of ovalene (C32H14) and hydrogenated ovalene (C32H15˙) in solid para-hydrogen (p-H2). The hydrogenated ovalene and protonated ovalene were generated from electron bombardment of a mixture of ovalene and p-H2 during deposition of a matrix at 3.2 K. The features that decreased with time have been previously assigned to 7-C32H15+, the most stable isomer of protonated ovalene (Astrophys. J., 2016, 825, 96). The spectral features that increased with time are assigned to the most stable isomer of hydrogenated ovalene (7-C32H15˙) based on the expected chemistry and on a comparison with the vibrational wavenumbers and IR intensities predicted by the B3PW91/6-311++G(2d,2p) method. The mechanism of formation of 7-C32H15˙ is discussed according to the observed changes in intensity and calculated energetics of possible reactions of H + C32H14 and isomerization of C32H15˙. The formation of 7-C32H15˙ is dominated by the reaction H + C32H14 → 7-C32H15˙, implying that, regardless of the presence of a barrier, the hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons occurs even at 3.2 K.

Infrared Spectrum of Toluene: Comparison of Anharmonic Isolated-Molecule Calculations and Experiments in Liquid Phase and in a Ne Matrix.

First-principles anharmonic calculations are carried out for the CH stretching vibrations of isolated toluene and compared with the experimental infrared spectra of isotopologues of toluene in a Ne matrix at 3 K and of liquid toluene at room temperature. The calculations use the vibrational self-consistent field method and the B3LYP potential surface. In general, good agreement is found between the calculations and experiments. However, the spectrum of toluene in a Ne matrix is more complicated than that predicted theoretically. This distinction is discussed in terms of matrix-site and resonance effects. Interestingly, the strongest peak in the CH stretching spectrum has similar widths in the liquid phase and in a Ne matrix, despite the very different temperatures. Implications of this observation to the broadening mechanism are discussed. Finally, our results show that the B3LYP potential offers a good description of the anharmonic CH stretching band in toluene, but a proper description of matrix-site and resonance effects remains a challenge.

Infrared spectra of two isomers of protonated carbonyl sulfide (HOCS+ and HSCO+) and t-HOCS in solid para-hydrogen.

We report infrared (IR) spectra of HOCS+, HSCO+, t-HOCS, and other species produced on electron bombardment of a mixture of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) and para-hydrogen (p-H2) during deposition at 3.2 K. After maintenance of the matrix in darkness for 15 h, the intensities of absorption features of HOCS+ at 2945.9 (ν1), 1875.3 (ν2), and 1041.9 (ν3) cm-1 and those of HSCO+ at 2506.9 (ν1) and 2074.2 (ν2) cm-1 decreased through neutralization with trapped electrons. Lines observed at 3563.4, 1394.8, and 1199.0 cm-1, which decreased slightly in intensity after maintenance in darkness and were nearly depleted after irradiation at 373 nm, are assigned to a t-HOCS radical. The corresponding spectra of their 13C- and D-isotopologues were observed. The IR spectra of HSCO+ and t-HOCS and those of modes ν2 and ν3 of HOCS+ are new. The assignments were made according to the expected chemical behavior and a comparison of experimental and calculated wavenumbers and 13C- and D-isotopic shifts. The wavenumber of the OH stretching mode (2945.9 cm-1) of HOCS+ in solid p-H2 is significantly red-shifted from that (3435.16 cm-1) reported for gaseous HOCS+; this shift is attributed to partial sharing of a proton between OCS and H2. The corresponding p-H2 induced shift is small in HSCO+ because of a much weaker interaction between HSCO+ and H2.