Theoretical study of the Si2NO potential energy surface

The structures, spectroscopies, and stabilities of the doublet Si₂NO radical are explored at the density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio levels. Seventeen isomers are located, connected by 26 interconversion transition states. At the CCSD(T)/6‐311+G(2df)//QCISD/6‐311G(d)+ZPVE level, three low‐lying isomers are predicted, that is, one bent species SiNSiO 3 (5.1 kcal/mol) containing the important Si?N triple bonding and two four‐membered ring isomers including cyclic cSiNSiO 1 (0.0) with Si? Si cross‐bonding with C_2v symmetry and puckered cSiNSiO 1′ (11.9) with divalent carbene character. Three low‐lying isomers 1, 1′, and 3 have reasonable kinetic stabilities and might be observable either experimentally or astrophysically. The possible formation strategies of 1, 1′, and 3 in laboratory and in space are discussed in detail. The calculated vibrational frequencies and possible formation processes of 3 are consistent with recent experimental observations. In light of the fact that no cyclic nitrogen‐containing species have been detected in space, two cyclic isomers 1 and 1′ could be promising candidates. Furthermore, the bonding nature of three isomers 1, 1′, and 3 is analyzed. The calculated results are also compared with those of the analogue C₂NO radical. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007