title: Velocity Map Imaging Study of Ion-Radical Chemistry: Charge Transfer and Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation in the Reactions of Allyl Radicals with C(.).
abstract: We present an experimental and computational study of the dynamics of collisions of ground state carbon cations with allyl radicals, C3H5, at a collision energy of 2.2 eV. Charge transfer to produce the allyl cation, C3H5(+), is exoergic by 3.08 eV and proceeds via energy resonance such that the electron transfer occurs without a significant change in nuclear velocities. The products have sufficient energy to undergo the dissociation process C3H5(+) → C3H4(+) + H. Approximately 80% of the reaction products are ascribed to charge transfer, with ∼40% of those products decaying via loss of a hydrogen atom. We also observe products arising from the formation of new carbon-carbon bonds. The experimental velocity space flux distributions for the four-carbon products are symmetric about the centroid of the reactants, providing direct evidence that the products are mediated by formation of a C4H5(+) complex living at least a few rotational periods. The primary four-carbon reaction products are formed by elimination of molecular hydrogen from the C4H5(+) complex. More than 75% of the nascent C4H3(+) products decay by C-H bond cleavage to yield a C4H2(+) species. Quantum chemical calculations at the MP2/6-311+g(d,p) level of theory support the formation of a nonplanar cyclic C4H5(+) adduct that is produced when the p-orbital containing the unpaired electron on C(+) overlaps with the unpaired spin density on the terminal carbon atoms in allyl. Product formation then occurs by 1,2-elimination of molecular hydrogen from the cyclic intermediate to form a planar cyclic C4H3(+) product. The large rearrangement in geometry as the C4H3(+) products are formed is consistent with high vibrational excitation in that product and supports the observation that the majority of those products decay to form the C4H2(+) species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York 14627, United States.
authors.forename: Linsen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York 14627, United States.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Farrar