title: An ab initio study of the photochemical decomposition of 3, 3-dimethyldiazirine
abstract: Photochemical decomposition of 3,3-dimethyldiazirine (DMD) has been computationally investigated by using high-level ab initio calculations in conjunction with the 6-31G and cc-pvdz basis sets. The geometries of minima and transition states, as well as conical intersection points in the seam of crossing of two surfaces, have been optimized with the complete active space self-consistent field (CAS-SCF) method, and their energies, recalculated with second-order multireference perturbation (CAS/MP2) theory. The reaction path starting at the excited n-pi state of DMD is predicted to occur via a nonadiabatic mechanism, giving carbene and molecular dinitrogen (both in their singlet ground states) as the main products; the computed barrier height (1.0 kcal mol(-)(1)) agrees well with the experimental estimate of the activation energy in the singlet excited state (0.0-1.5 kcal mol(-)(1)). Ground state of dimethylcarbene is the only species where a 1,2-hydrogen shift takes place, being the only source of propene. The calculated potential energy barrier height for dimethylcarbene to propene isomerization (2.6 kcal mol(-)(1)) agrees well with the observed activation energy (2.56 kcal mol(-)(1)). No evidence for rearrangement in the first singlet excited state of DMD has been found; such a process would lead to a higher activation energy than the observed one. Consequently, 1,2-hydrogen migration concurrent with N(2) extrusion in the excited state has been ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician" dell'Universita di Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy, (dagger)Instituto di Chimica Organica, Universita degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro, I-53100 Siena, Italy, and Department of Chemistry, Kin.
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivucci
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vreven
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soto