Fluorine-substitution induced switching of dissociation patterns of C6H4*+ produced by photoelimination of MgF2 from the complexes of mg*+ (multifluorobenzene).
Complexes of fluorinated benzenes (o-C6H4-nF2+n) and Mg*+ are subjected to ultraviolet photodissociation (260-340 nm), producing efficiently benzyne radical cations (C6H4-nFn*+) besides Mg*+ and MgF+. We show that the consecutive dissociation of C6H4-nFn*+ follows the [C4(+) + C2] pattern exclusively for n < or = 2 after the parent complexes absorb one or two photons. However, the dissociation pattern is switched to [C5(+) + C1] and [C1 + C5] for n > or = 3. In particular, upon two-photon absorption at 340 nm by the complexes of Mg*+ (C6HF5) (1) and Mg*+ (C6F6) (2), photoproducts of CF+, C5H+, and C5HF*+ from C6HF3*+ and CF+, C5F+, C5F2*+, and C5F3+ from C6F4*+ are detected, respectively. Theoretical calculations are used to explain the switching of the dissociation patterns induced by the fluorine substitutions. It was found that the formation of C5+ + C1 is energetically more favorable than that of C4(+) + C2 from C6HF3*+ and C6F4*+ and of C1(+) + C5. Except for C5H2F(+) + CF, all the channels of [C5(+) + C1] and [C1(+) + C5] are energetically less favorable than those of [C4(+) + C2] from C6H3F*+ and C6H2F2*+. In most cases, the calculated results agree well with the experimental observations.
Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Hai-Chuan
HC
Liu
Xin-Hao
XH
Zhang
Yun-Dong
YD
Wu
Shihe
S
Yang