An ab initio molecular orbital study of the protonation of amines

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations using an 8 ^s , 3 ^p ; 3 ^s Gaussian basis set, with contraction, have been used to study a series of primary amines XNH₂, where X = H, CH₃, OH, F, CN, CHO, and NO₂. The geometries of the corresponding ammonium ions have been optimised and the energy differences have been used to estimate relative proton affinities. The 1 ^s orbital energies for both the amines and ammonium ions, when corrected for the effects of charges on the other atoms in the molecule by use of an ESCA equation, give a good correlation with the computed charge on the nitrogen atom.