Perfluoro effect on the electronic excited states of para-benzoquinone revealed by experiment and theory

We report a comprehensive study on the electronic excited states of tetrafluoro-1,4-benzoquinone, through high-resolution vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory calculations performed within the nuclear ensemble approach. Absolute cross section values were experimentally determined in the 3.8-10.8 eV energy range. The present experimental results represent the highest resolution data yet reported for this molecule and reveal previously unresolved spectral structures. The interpretation of the results was made in close comparison with the available data for para-benzoquinone [Jones et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2017, 146, 184303]. While the dominant absorption features for both molecules arise from analogous π* ← π transitions, some remarkable differences have been identified. The perfluoro effect manifests in different ways: shifts in band positions and cross sections, appearance of features associated with excitations to σCF* orbitals, and spectrum broadening by quenching of either vibrational or Rydberg progressions. The level of agreement between experiment and theory is very satisfactory, yet that required the inclusion of nuclear quantum effects in the calculations. We have also discussed the role of temperature on the absorption spectrum, as well as the involvement of core-excited resonances in promoting dissociative electron attachment reactions in the 3-5 eV range.

Selective bond breaking of halothane induced by electron transfer in potassium collisions

We present novel experimental results of negative ion formation of halothane (C₂HBrClF₃) upon electron transfer from hyperthermal neutral potassium atoms (K°) in the collision energy range of 8-1000 eV. The experiments were performed in a crossed molecular beam setup allowing a comprehensive analysis of the time-of-flight (TOF) mass negative ions fragmentation pattern and a detailed knowledge of the collision dynamics in the energy range investigated. Such TOF mass spectra data show that the only negative ions formed are Br^-, Cl^- and F^-, with a strong energy dependence in the low-energy collision region, with the bromine anion being the most abundant and sole fragment at the lowest collision energy probed. In addition, potassium cation (K⁺) energy loss spectra in the forward scattering direction were obtained in a hemispherical energy analyser at different K° impact energies. In order to support our experimental findings, ab initio quantum chemical calculations have been performed to help interpret the role of the electronic structure of halothane. Potential energy curves were obtained along the C-X (X = Br, Cl) coordinate to lend support to the dissociation processes yielding anion formation.

Shape Resonances and Elastic Cross Sections in Electron Scattering by CF3Br and CF3I

Trifluoroiodomethane (CF₃I) is one of the most appealing candidates for applications in plasma-based technologies in view of its many interesting advantages when compared to more standard gases such as trifluorobromomethane (CF₃Br). Low-energy electrons are prone to decomposing these molecules into reactive species, and knowledge on the collision cross sections is fundamental for modeling transport and reactivity in plasma environments. Despite many studies on electron collisions with the abovementioned molecules, there are conflicting results on the assignment of shape resonances and on the magnitudes of total cross sections. Here, we try to clarify these aspects by performing ab initio electron scattering calculations. We found integral cross sections in fair agreement with the most recent measurements, in contrast to previous reports. For each molecule, we found a σ_CX^* resonance (antibonding between the carbon and the heavy halogen) at 1 eV in CF₃Br and at ∼0 eV in CF₃I. Furthermore, there are three shape resonances of σ_CF^* character; two are degenerate and account for a broad feature around 6 eV and the other one appears around 9.5 eV. We also discuss the possible role of the degenerate resonance in dissociative electron attachment reactions, as well as the impact of the heavy halogen on the cross sections and on the shape resonances.

How does methylation suppress the electron-induced decomposition of 1-methyl-nitroimidazoles?

The efficient decomposition of nitroimidazoles (NIs) by low energy electrons is believed to underlie their radiosensitizing properties. Recent dissociative electron attachment (DEA) measurements showed that methylation at the N1 site unexpectedly suppresses the electron-induced reactions in 4(5)-NI. We report theoretical results that provide a clear interpretation of that astounding finding. Around 1.5 eV, DEA reactions into several fragments are initiated by a π^* resonance, not considered in previous studies. The autoionization lifetime of this anion state, which limits the predissociation dynamics, is considerably shorter in the methylated species, thereby suppressing the DEA signals. On the other hand, the lifetime of the π^* resonance located around 3 eV is less affected by methylation, which explains why DEA is still observed at these energies. Our results demonstrate how even a simple methylation can significantly modify the probabilities for DEA reactions, which may be significant for NI-based cancer therapy.

Negative ion states of 5-bromouracil and 5-iodouracil

The valence anion states of the potential radiosensitisers 5-bromouracil and 5-iodouracil were investigated through elastic scattering calculations. These compounds have rich spectra of negative ion states that trigger off different mechanisms for dissociative electron attachment. For each molecule, we obtained a bound π* anion, two π* shape resonances and a low lying σ* anion state, in addition to a dipole-bound state (the latter was obtained using bound-state techniques). The σ* anion, formed by electron attachment to an anti-bonding carbon-halogen orbital, was found to have resonant character in 5-bromouracil, and bound-state character in 5-iodouracil. The present calculations place the σCBr* resonance around 0.7 eV, considerably below the energy inferred from the electron transmission data (1.3 eV). The signature of this anion state, not evident in the measurements, would be obscured by the large background arising from the dipolar interaction, not by the strong signature of the π2*, as presumed. Our results support the π2* resonance as a precursor state to dissociative electron attachment around 1.5 eV in both 5-bromouracil and 5-iodouracil, while the interplay among π1*, σ* and dipole-bound states would be expected close to 0 eV. We also discuss the suppression of the hydrogen elimination channels in these species.

Anion states and fragmentation of 2-chloroadenine upon low-energy electron collisions

We report on a joint theoretical and experimental investigation into the electron-induced fragmentation of 2-chloroadenine, for electrons up to 12 eV. Our results suggest that 2-chloroadenine can be considered as potential radiosensitiser.

Shape resonance spectra of uracil, 5-fluorouracil, and 5-chlorouracil

We report on the shape resonance spectra of uracil, 5-fluorouracil, and 5-chlorouracil, as obtained from fixed-nuclei elastic scattering calculations performed with the Schwinger multichannel method with pseudopotentials. Our results are in good agreement with the available electron transmission spectroscopy data, and support the existence of three π∗ resonances in uracil and 5-fluorouracil. As expected, the anion states are more stable in the substituted molecules than in uracil. Since the stabilization is stronger in 5-chlorouracil, the lowest π∗ resonance in this system becomes a bound anion state. The present results also support the existence of a low-lying σCCl (*) shape resonance in 5-chlorouracil. Exploratory calculations performed at selected C-Cl bond lengths suggest that the σCCl (*) resonance could couple to the two lowest π∗ states, giving rise to a very rich dissociation dynamics. These facts would be compatible with the complex branching of the dissociative electron attachment cross sections, even though we cannot discuss any details of the vibration dynamics based only on the present fixed-nuclei results.

Electron driven reactions in sulphur containing analogues of uracil: the case of 2-thiouracil

Electron induced fragmentation of 2-thiouracil.