Formation of thermodynamically stable dications in the gas phase by thermal ion–molecule reactions: Nb2+ with small alkanes

Energetics and mechanisms of C-H bond activation by a doubly charged metal ion: guided ion beam and theoretical studies of Ta2+ + CH4

A guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometer is used to study the kinetic-energy dependence of doubly charged atomic tantalum cations (Ta(2+)) reacting with CH4 and CD4. As for the analogous singly charged system, the dehydrogenation reaction to form TaCH2(2+) + H2 is exothermic. The charge-transfer reaction to form Ta(+) + CH4(+) and the charge-separation reaction to form TaH(+) + CH3(+) are also observed at low energies in exothermic processes, as is a secondary reaction of TaCH2(2+) to form TaCH3(+) + CH3(+). At higher energies, other doubly charged products, TaC(2+) and TaCH3(2+), are observed, although no formation of TaH(2+) was observed. Modeling of the endothermic cross sections provides 0 K bond dissociation energies (in electronvolts) of D0(Ta(2+)-C) = 5.42 +/- 0.19 and D0(Ta(2+)-CH3) = 3.40 +/- 0.16. These experimental bond energies are in poor agreement with density functional calculations at the B3LYP/HW+/6-311++G(3df,3p) level of theory. However, the Ta(2+)-C bond energy is in good agreement with calculations at the QCISD(T) level of theory, and the Ta(2+)-CH3 bond energy is in good agreement with density functional calculations at the BHLYP level of theory. Theoretical calculations reveal the geometric and electronic structures of all product ions and are used to map the potential energy surface, which describes the mechanism of the reaction and key intermediates. Both experimental and theoretical results suggest that TaH(+), TaCH2(2+), and TaCH3(2+) are formed through a H-Ta(2+)-CH3 intermediate.

Gas-phase fragmentation of coordination compounds: loss of CO(2) from inorganic carbonato complexes to give metal oxide ions

Using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, novel transition metal oxide coordination complex ions are proposed as the products of the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of some carbonato complex ions through the loss of a mass equivalent to CO(2). CID spectra of [(tpa)CoCO(3)](+) (tpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)methylamine), [(bispicMe(2)en)Fe(&mgr;-O)(&mgr;-CO(3))Fe(bispicMe(2)en)]2+ (bispicMe(2)en = N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethy)eth- ane-1, 2-diamine) and [(bpbp)Cu(2)CO(3)](+) (bpbp(-) = bis[(bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl]-4-tertbutylpheno-lato(1-)), show peaks assigned to the mono- and dinuclear oxide cations, [(tpa)CoO](+), [(bispicMe(2)en)(2)Fe(2)(O)(2)]2+ and [(bpbp)Cu(2)O](+), as the dominant species. These results can be likened to the reverse of typical synthetic reactions in which metal hydroxide compounds react with CO(2) to give metal carbonato compounds. Because of the lack of available protons in the gas phase, novel oxide species rather than the more common hydroxide ions are generated. These oxide ions are relevant to the highly oxidizing species proposed in oxygenation reactions catalysed by metal oxides and metalloenzymes. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.