Molecular fragmentations: Part II. Structures and energies of molecular fragments derived from formamide and its molecular cation

Molecular geometries and heats of formation have been calculated, using MINDO/3, for mass spectral fragment pairs (A⁺ + B) derived from formamide. There are five stable isomeric forms of the molecular ion: [H₂NC(OH)]⁺, (H₃NCO)⁺, [HNC(OH₂)]⁺, [NCH(OH₂)]⁺, and (NCOH₃)⁺ (in order of increasing

, but no isomer (H₂NCHO)⁺. There are three isomeric forms of (M—H)⁺: (H₂NCO)⁺ (HNCOH)⁺, and (NCOH₂)⁺: the only stable form of (M—2H)⁺ is (NCOH)⁺. Other (A/B)⁺ fragment pairs calculated are (CO/NH₃)⁺, (HCO/NH₂)⁺, (H₂O/HCN)⁺, (H₂O/HNC)⁺ [HO^. + (HCNH)⁺], and [HO^. + (H₂NC)⁺]. The structure of the doubly charged ion M²⁺ is also reported.