Interstellar molecules. Conversion Of C(3)O(-) to C(3)O in the gas phase

Neutral cumulene oxide CCCCO is accessible by one-electron oxidation of [CCCCO]-* in the gas phase

Calculations at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory indicate that doublet [CCCCO]-* is a stable species which should undergo collision-induced Franck-Condon vertical oxidation under neutralisation-reionisation conditions (-NR+) to produce both triplet CCCCO (ground state) and singlet CCCCO. Some of the neutral CCCCO species formed (particularly the triplet) should be stable for the microsecond duration of the NR experiment, whereas others will be energised (particularly the singlet) and should decompose to C3 and CO. The [CCCCO]-* radical anion has been formed in the ion source of the mass spectrometer by the reaction CH3OCH2C[triple bond]C-CO-CH(CH3)2 + O-* --> [CCCCO]-* + CH3O* + H2O + (CH3)2CH*. The -NR+ spectrum of [CCCCO]-* shows a recovery signal at m/z 64 corresponding to ionised CCCCO, together with a pronounced peak at m/z 36 (CCC+*) produced by ionisation of CCC (formed by the reaction CCCCO --> CCC + CO). The experimental observations are in agreement with the predictions of the theoretical study.

Formation of neutral molecules of potential stellar interest by neutralisation of negative ions in a mass spectrometer. The application of experiment and molecular modelling in concert

This paper is a modified version of a lecture which describes the synthesis, structure and reactivity of some neutral molecules of stellar significance. The neutrals are formed in the collision cell of a mass spectrometer following vertical Franck-Condon one electron oxidation of anions of known bond connectivity. Neutrals are characterised by conversion to positive ions and by extensive theoretical studies at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. Four systems are considered in detail, viz (i) the formation of linear C(4) and its conversion to the rhombus C(4), (ii) linear C(5) and the atom scrambling of this system when energised, (iii) the stable cumulene oxide CCCCCO, and (iv) the elusive species O(2)C-CO. This paper is not intended to be a review of interstellar chemistry: examples are selected from our own work in this area.

Potential interstellar molecules. Formation of neutral C(6)CO from C(6)CO(-*) in the gas phase

Computations at the RCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ//B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory indicate that neutral C(6)CO is a stable species. The ground state of this neutral is the singlet cumulene oxide :C=C=C=C=C=C=C=O. The adiabatic electron affinity and dipole moment of singlet C(6)CO are 2.47 eV and 4.13 D, respectively, at this level of theory. The anion (C(6)CO)-* should be a possible precursor to this neutral. It has been formed by an unequivocal synthesis in the ion source of a mass spectrometer by the S(N)2(Si) reaction between (CH(3))(3)Si-C(triple bond)C-C(triple bond)C-C(triple bond)C-CO-CMe(3) and F(-) to form (-)C(triple bond)C-C(triple bond)C-C(triple bond)C-CO-Me(3) which loses Me(3)C* in the source to form C(6)CO(-)*. Charge stripping of this anion by vertical Franck-Condon oxidation forms C(6)CO, characterised by the neutralisation-reionisation spectrum (-NR(+)) of C(6)CO(-*), which is stable during the timeframe of this experiment (10(-6) s).