title: On the tunneling instability of a hypercoordinated carbocation.
abstract: C(CH3)5(+), a pentacoordinate carbocation, was recently described as a "fleeting" molecule, that is, stable only at low temperatures. Herein it is shown using theoretical methods that, owing to carbon tunneling, the molecule is not persistent even at 0 K. One possible way to lengthen its lifespan is by deuterium substitution, in spite of the fact that no bond to hydrogen is broken.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel. kozuch@bgu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozuch