Forms of soil organic nitrogen in a Pactola soil as seen by pyrolysis/gas chromatography/atomic emission detection (Py–GC/AED)

In this study, soil organic nitrogen (SON) forms from a Pactola forest soil were investigated by using pyrolysis–cryogenic gas chromatography/atomic emission (Py–GC/AED). The samples were taken at different soil depths of 0–12 cm, 12–25 cm and 25–38 cm and separated into particle-size fractions. Each fraction was analyzed by Py–GC/AED at 300, 400 and 500 °C consecutively. The main N-structures found in pyrolysates were ammonia, acetonitrile, hydrogen cyanide, pyridine and pyrrole. Ratios of acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide to pyridine and pyrrole decreased with soil depth. Acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide had positive correlations with total organic N (TON) down the soil profile. A decrease of the optimal pyrolysis temperatures of soil samples with increasing soil depth was observed for acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide. In the surface soil samples, there was no correlation found for both pyridine and pyrrole with TON. But with depth, the correlation coefficient increased and reached to 0.912 for pyridine, and 0.875 for pyrrole at the depth of 25–38 cm. The increased correlation coefficients of pyridine and pyrrole with TON in combination with the low shifts of the optimal pyrolysis temperatures of the soil samples down the soil profile for acetonitrile and hydrogen cyanide indicated clear differences in N-structures between different soil layers.     

Shock tube pyrolysis of pyrrole and kinetic modeling

The kinetics of pyrolysis of pyrrole dilute in argon have been studied in a single pulse shock tube, using capillary column GC, together with GC/MS and FTIR for product identification, over the temperature range 1200–1700 K, total pressures of 7.5–13.5 atm and nominal mixture compositions of pyrrole of 5000 and 700 ppm (nominal concentrations of 5 × 10^?7 and 7 × 10^?8 mol cm^?3). Time-resolved measurements of the rate of disappearance of pyrrole behind reflected shock waves have been made by absorption spectroscopy at 230 nm, corresponding to the lowest ¹π* ← ¹π transition of pyrrole at pressures of 20 atm and mixture compositions between 1000–2000 ppm pyrrole (1.7–3.0 × 10^?7 mol cm^?3) over the temperature range of 1300 to 1700 K. At the lower end of the studied temperature range, the isomers of pyrrole, allyl cyanide and cis- and trans-crotononitrile, were the principal products, together with hydrogen cyanide and propyne/allene. At elevated temperatures, acetylene, acetonitrile, cyanoacetylene, and hydrogen became important products. The rate of overall disappearance of pyrrole, as measured by absorption spectrometry, was found to be first order in pyrrole concentration, with a rate constant k_dis(pyrrole) = 10^14.1±0.7 exp(?74.1 ± 3.0 kcal mol^?1/RT) s^?1 between 1350–1600 K and at a pressure of 20 atm. First order dependence of pyrrole decomposition and major product formation was also observed in the single pulse experiments over the range of mixture compositions studied. A 75-step reaction model is presented and shown to substantially fit the observed temperature profiles of the major product species and the reactant profile. In the model the initiation reaction is postulated to be the reversible formation of pyrrolenine, (2H-pyrrole). Pyrrolenine can undergo ring scission at the C2? N bond forming a biradical which can rearrange to form allyl cyanide and crotononitrile or undergo decomposition to form HCN and C₃H₄ or acetylene and a precursor of acetonitrile. The model predicts an overall rate of disappearance of pyrrole in agreement with the experimental measurements.     

吹扫捕集气相色谱法分析土壤中熏蒸剂氰与氰化氢残留量

采用吹扫捕集气相色谱法建立了土壤中熏蒸剂氰和氰化氢的分析方法,对土壤中氰和氰化氢预处理的吹扫温度、吹扫时间和吹扫载气(N2)流速进行了优化。最佳吹扫参数为:以10%H2SO4溶液作溶剂、吹扫温度80℃、吹扫时间60 min和吹扫载气(N2)流速40 mL.min-1。氰和氰化氢在0.2～10 mg.L-1质量浓度范围内线性关系良好,相关系数(r2)分别为0.999 1和0.998 3。在优化条件下,土壤中氰和氰化氢的平均回收率分别为95%和96%,相对标准偏差分别为3.6%和5.2%,检出限(S/N=3)分别为0.012、0.021 mg.kg-1,定量下限(S/N=10)分别为0.040、0.070 mg.kg-1。用100 mg.kg-1氰熏蒸土壤48 h,氰及其降解产物氰化氢在土壤中的残留量分别为0.32 mg.kg-1和5.68 mg.kg-1。该方法简便快速,精密度与准确度均符合要求,适用于土壤中氰和氰化氢残留量的检测。     

Quantitative comparison of the nitrogen-containing pyrolysis products and amino acid composition of soil humic acids

Pyrrole and acetonitrile, major pyrolysis products of soil humic substances, vary characteristically in abundance with the degree of humification of the organic matter in the soil. Their origin, however, is uncertain because of the large amount of unidentifiable soil nitrogen. A quantitative relationship between amino acid composition and pyrrole and acetonitrile abundances has been established by Curie-point pyrolysis-gas chromatography of a group of test proteins, using polystyrene as an internal standard. The pyrolysis yields of these products from three humic acids extracted from the surface horizons of Scottish brown forest soils (Cambisols or Ochrepts) were entirely accounted for by the known hydrolysable amino acid content and composition, and the products were related to individual amino acids. The peptide amino acid was also found to be the overall source of the aromatic pyrolysis products toluene, phenol and p-cresol.     

Importance of the C-H...N weak hydrogen bonding on the coordination structures of manganese(III) porphyrin complexes

The reactions between Mn(Por)Cl and Bu(4)N(+)CN(-) have been examined in various solvents by UV-vis and (1)H NMR spectroscopy, where Por's are dianions of meso-tetraisopropylporphyrin (T(i)PrP), meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP), meso-tetrakis(p-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)porphyrin (p-CF(3)-TPP), meso-tetramesitylporphyrin (TMP), and meso-tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin (2,6-Cl(2)-TPP). Population ratios of the reaction products, Mn(Por)(CN) and [Mn(Por)(CN)(2)](-), have been sensitively affected by the solvents used. In the case of Mn(T(i)PrP)Cl, the following results are obtained: (i) The bis-adduct is preferentially formed in dipolar aprotic solvents such as DMSO, DMF, and acetonitrile. (ii) Both the mono- and bis-adduct are formed in the less polar solvents such as CH(2)Cl(2) and benzene though the complete conversion to the bis-adduct is achieved with much smaller amount of the ligand in benzene solution. (iii) Only the mono-adduct is formed in CHCl(3) solution even in the presence of a large excess of cyanide. (iv) Neither the mono- nor the bis-adduct is obtained in methanol solution. The results mentioned above have been explained in terms of the C-H.N and O-H.N hydrogen bonding in chloroform and methanol solutions, respectively, between the solvent molecules and cyanide ligand; hydrogen bonding weakens the coordination ability of cyanide and reduces the population of the bis-adduct. The importance of the C-H.N weak hydrogen bonding is most explicitly shown in the following fact: while the starting complex is completely converted to the bis-adduct in CH(2)Cl(2) solution, the conversion from the mono- to the bis-adduct is not observed even in the presence of 7000 equiv of Bu(4)N(+)CN(-) in CHCl(3) solution. The effective magnetic moments of the bis-adduct has been determined by the Evans method to be 3.2 micro(B) at 25 degrees C, suggesting that the complex adopts the usual (d(xy))(2)(d(xz), d(yz))(2) electron configuration despite the highly ruffled porphyrin core expected for [Mn(T(i)PrP)(CN)(2)](-). The spin densities of [Mn(T(i)PrP)(CN)(2)](-) centered on the pi MO have been determined on the basis of the (1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts. Estimated spin densities are as follows: meso-carbon, -0.0014; alpha-pyrrole carbon, -0.0011; beta-pyrrole carbon, +0.0066; pyrrole nitrogen, -0.022. The spin densities at the pyrrole carbon and meso nitrogen atoms are much smaller than those of the corresponding [Mn(TPP)(CN)(2)](-), which is ascribed to the nonplanar porphyrin ring of [Mn(T(i)PrP)(CN)(2)](-). This study has revealed that the C-H.N weak hydrogen bonding is playing an important role in determining the stability of the manganese(III) complexes.     

基于养分指标相关性的土壤有机质预测模型研究

为探究土壤间各养分指标间的相互关系,选取了天津市宁河区不同区域的种植土壤,基于行业标准规定的检测方法,对主要养分指标进行了测定,并研究各指标间的相关性。结果表明,各区域土壤pH值变异系数最小,整体均呈碱性;有机质、全氮及速效钾变异系数属于中等;有效磷的变异系数最高。各研究区域土壤有机质含量与全氮含量呈显著正相关(P<0.01),与pH值呈显著负相关(P<0.01),而与其他指标间不具备普遍且显著的相关性。基于多元线性回归分析建立了土壤有机质与全氮及pH值之间的预测模型,通过模型计算出的预测值与实际测定值的拟合性较好;另取土壤样品进行验证表明,预测模型具有良好的可靠性和准确性。     

Easy formation of gold-like lustrous crystals with a high melting point from 1-aryl-2,5-bis[5-(tricyanoethenyl)-2-thienyl]pyrroles

A new class of π-conjugated organic compounds, 1-aryl-2,5-bis[5-(tricyanoethenyl)-2-thienyl]pyrroles that form gold-like lustrous crystals with a high melting point were obtained. The molecules in these crystals are arranged in a planar sheet to get close to each other via the intermolecular CH?N hydrogen bond between the cyano nitrogen and the hydrogen of the nearest thiophene or pyrrole ring, which makes the crystals sparingly soluble in common organic solvents.     

Photodissociation of gaseous [C4H5N]+˙ ions

The photodissociation of [C₄H₅N]⁺˙ ions generated by ionization of pyrrole (1), allyl cyanide (2), crotonitrile (3), cyclopropyl cyanide (4) and methacrylonitrile (5) has been studied using ion beam techniques. At least four different stable ion structures have been distinguished, which is in contrast to earlier CAD studies. In addition it has been shown that [C₂H₃N]⁺˙ fragment ions formed by dissociative ionization of the same precursors have structures which are distinct from that of ionized acetonitrile.     

Automatic isotope gas analysis of tritium labelled organic materials

An analytical procedure and an automatic apparatus are described for the determination of tritium in organic compounds by gas counting. The sample is pyrolysed in hydrogen atmosphere at 1000°C, then, with hydrogen, the decomposition products are rinsed through a column of molecular sieve-5A heated to 550°C. Tritium in water, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide is transferred into the hydrogen stream by isotope exchange completed on the column. The inactive water vapor, hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide as well as carbon dioxide are removed from the gas stream by appropriate absorbents, and the radioactive hydrogen together with tritiated methane, carbon monoxide and nitrogen included in the pyrolytic products is led into an internal proportional counter tube for radioactivity measurement. The method provides quantitative recovery, it is free of memory effect and suitable for the rapid assay of a wide variety of organic compounds containing C, H, N, O, S in addition to tritium.     

Microscopic study of binary mixtures between pyrrolidinium bis(triflorosulfonyl)imide and dimethyl sulfoxide/acetonitrile

Molecular interactions of a representative pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid 1-butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(triflorosulfonyl)-imide([BMPyrr][TFSI]) with dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) and acetonitrile(AN) have been analyzed in this work. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(ATR-FTIR) and density functional theory(DFT) calculations are used in the investigation, while excess infrared spectra and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy are used to explore the data in detail. It has been found that the molecular solvents can interact with TFSI-(mainly with S=O and weakly with S–N–S group). AN interacts feebly with BMPyrr~+ as compared with the strong interaction of DMSO. The strength of the interactions depends on the electron donating ability of the solvent. Upon mixing, hydrogen bonds regarding C-Hs in cation and S–N–S in anion are weakened, while that regarding S=O in anion is strengthened. Among the C-Hs which are connected directly with the N of the cation, C1-H is the main interaction site for both DMSO and AN. This means that C1-H is the most acidic hydrogen in pyrrolidinium cation.     

False Detection of Cyanide Ion in Photographic Processing Waste Solutions Using Standardized Reference Methods

Abstract

Although cyanide compounds are not incorporated in photographic processing solutions, false detection of cyanide ion is often encountered during the determination of total cyanide by various standardized methods such as ISO, ANSI and JIS. Various organic compounds and nitrogen compounds in the processing solutions were examined because of this false detection. The results suggest that hydrogen cyanide is formed by a reaction between these compounds during the distillation process for the separation of total cyanide, even though ISO, ANSI and JIS were used. The results support the following three mechanisms of cyanide formation involved in the process: (1) Hydroxylammonium salts reacts with another ingredient, formaldehyde, to form formaldoxime, which then decomposes to HCN. (2) Hydroxylammonium is oxidized by air to form nitrite ion, which subsequently reacts with organic compounds such as aminocarboxylic acids and aromatic amines (the colour-developing agent) to form HCN. (3) Potassium permanganate oxidizes aromatic amines to form HCN.     

Determination of cyantraniliprole and its major metabolite residues in vegetable and soil using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, highly sensitive and selective method was developed for the determination of the cyantraniliprole and its major metabolite J9Z38 in cucumber, tomato and soil by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS). Target compounds were extracted with acetonitrile and an aliquot cleaned with primary and secondary amine. Two pairs of precursor product ion transitions for cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 were measured and evaluated. Average recoveries for cucumber, tomato and soil at three levels (10, 50 and 100 µg/kg) ranged from 74.7 to 96.2% with intra‐day relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.6–15.1% and inter‐day RSD of 3.4–13.3%. The limit of quantitation for cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 were determined to be 5 and 10 µg/kg in samples (cucumber, tomato and soil), respectively. This method was used to determine the cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 residues in real cucumber, tomato and soil samples for studies on their dissipation. The trial results showed that the half‐lives of cyantraniliprole obtained after treatments were 2.2, 2.8 and 9.5 days in cucumber, tomato and soil in Zhejiang, respectively, and that the average levels of cyantraniliprole and J9Z38 residues in cucumber and tomato were all <0.01 mg/kg with the interval of 10 days after treatment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Loss of hydrogen cyanide from monocyanopyridines upon electron impact: Dewar pyridine structures and ring opening—Ring closure reactions revealed by 13C and 15N Labelling

Extensive ¹³C and ¹⁵N labelling has shown that the molecular ions of 2-, 3- and 4-cyanopyridine with lifetimes up to 10^?6 s eliminate hydrogen cyanide originating predominantly from the ring (?65%). Moreover, this hydrogen cyanide loss occurs after an equilibrated positional interchange of the ring carbon atoms at positions interchange of the ring carbon atoms at positions 2, 4 and 6 via Dewar pyridine structures. In molecular ions with lifetimes of 10^?6–10^?5 s skeletal rearrangements have taken place in such a way that both nitrogen atoms have become equivalent prior to the loss of hydrogen cyanide. Arguments are put forward that this equivalence of nitrogen atoms is caused by the intermediacy of ions with a 1,4-dicyanobuta-1,3-diene structure. About 60% of these intermediate ions eliminate hydrogen cyanide in a fast process. The remaining 40% of these ions undergo ring closure again to a pyridine ring in which the carbon atoms of positions 2, 4 and 6 are positionally interchanged rapidly via Dewar pyridine structures followed by ring opening again and eventual loss of hydrogen cyanide. This interpretation of the ¹³C and ¹⁵N labelling results is further corroborated by a study of the loss of hydrogen cyanide from molecular ions of 1,4-dicyanobuta-1,3-diene labelled with ¹³C in both cyano groups.     

A Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Dyad: [(tpy

The development of an artificial heterogeneous dyad by covalently anchoring a hydrogen‐evolving molecule catalyst to a semiconductor photosensitizer through a bridging ligand is highly challenging. Herein, we adopt the inorganic–organic hybrid CdS–DETA NSs (DETA=diethylenetriamine, NSs=nanosheets) as initial matrix to successfully construct an imine bond (‐CH=N‐) linked heterogeneous dyad [CdS?N=CH?Ni] through the condensation reaction between the amino groups of CdS–DETA and the aldehyde group of the water reduction molecular catalyst, [(tpy‐CHO)₂Ni]Cl₂ (tpy=terpyridine). The [CdS?N=CH?Ni] enables a turnover number (TON) of about 43 815 versus Ni catalysts and an initial turnover frequency (TOF) of approximately 0.47 s^?1 in 26 h under visible‐light irradiation (λ>420 nm). The apparent quantum yield (AQY) reaches (9.9±0.8) % at 420 nm. Under optical conditions, the [CdS?N=CH?Ni] can achieve a considerable amount of hydrogen production, 507.1±27 μmol H₂ for 6 h, which is 1.27 times that generated from the mechanically mixed system of CdS–DETA NSs and [(tpy‐CH=NR)₂Ni]Cl₂ ( III ) under otherwise identical conditions. Furthermore, its TON value based on Ni species is also higher than that of the mixed system of CdS–DETA and III .     

Biochar coupled with contrasting nitrogen sources mediated changes in carbon and nitrogen pools,microbial and enzymatic activity in paddy soil

There is limited information on changes cause by nitrogen (N) fertilizers and biochar (BC) application in soil carbon and nitrogen availability, leaching and microbial activity at different growth stages in rice. This is first comprehensive study conducted in early and late seasons during 2019 to evaluate efficiency of various traditional N fertilizers (i) Urea (ii) Ammonium nitrate and (iii) Ammonium sulfate (315 kg N ha⁻¹) with or without biochar (30 t ha⁻¹). Results illustrated that all N fertilizers sources applied with biochar significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) content by an average 48.44% and 50.63%, soil total nitrogen (Nt) by 4.56% and 4.94%, reduction in total nitrogen leaching by 42.63% and 76.16%, while dissolved organic carbon leaching (DOC) augmented by 39.87% and 38.38% than non-applied treatments in early and late season, respectively. Additionally, soil microbial biomass C and N progressively increased with growth stages and was found higher than non-applied treatments in both seasons. Furthermore, combined application of N fertilizers and biochar, facilitated soil N transformation and the net concentration of NH₄⁺–N and NO₃⁻–N was relatively higher than non-charred treatments. Similarly, in both early and late seasons, urease enzyme activity increased by an average 13.52% and 13.55%, β-glucosidase by 15.99% and 19.27% however, catalase activity decreased by 14.58% and 12.38%, correspondingly. Moreover, no significant difference (p < 0.05) was recorded among N fertilizers sources in both seasons.     

Assessment of Aqueous Extraction Methods on Extractable Organic Matter and Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Fractions of Virgin Forest Soils

The assessment of water-extractable organic matter using an autoclave can provide useful information on physical, chemical, and biological changes within the soil. The present study used virgin forest soils from Chini Forest Reserve, Langkawi Island, and Kenyir Forest Reserve (Malaysia), extracted using different extraction methods. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and ammonium-nitrate content were higher in the autoclave treatments, up to 3.0, 1.3, 1.2, and 1.4 times more than by natural extraction (extracted for 24 h at room temperature). Overall, the highest extractable DOC, TDN, TDP, ammonium and nitrate could be seen under autoclaved conditions 121 °C 2×, up to 146.74 mg C/L, 8.97 mg N/L, 0.23 mg P/L, 5.43 mg N mg/L and 3.47 N mg/L, respectively. The soil extracts became slightly acidic with a higher temperature and longer duration. Similar trends were observed in the humic and nonhumic substances, where different types of soil extract treatments influenced the concentrations of the fractions. Different soil extraction methods can provide further details, thus widening the application of soil extracts, especially in microbes.     

Oxidation of alcohols with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by soluble iron and osmium derivatives

Summary Osmium chloride OsCl₃ efficiently catalyzes (yields of products up to 90%, turnover numbers (TON) up to 1500) the oxidation of 2-cyanoethanol with hydrogen peroxide to produce the corresponding aldehyde and acid. Oxidation of isopropanol over OsCl₃ gave acetone in 58% yield. The reactions were carried out either in acetonitrile or without any solvent. The analogous iron compound FeCl₃ was found to be less efficient in the oxidation of 2-cyanoethanol (yields of products up to 67%, TON up to 135). Oxidation of isopropanol in this case gave acetone (yield 53%) and acetic acid (yield 11%). Some other soluble derivatives of iron or osmium exhibited noticeably lower catalytic activity in the alcohol oxidation with H₂O₂.     

Alkane oxidation by the H2O2-NaVO3-H2SO4 system in acetonitrile and water

A simple system is described, which oxidizes saturated hydrocarbons either in acetonitrile or (less efficiently) in water. The system consists of 50% aqueous hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant, sodium metavanadate, NaVO₃, as a catalyst and sulfuric (or oxalic) acid as a co-catalyst. The reactions were carried out at 20-50 °C. In the oxidation of cyclohexane in acetonitrile, the highest yield (37% based on cyclohexane) and turnover number (TON=1700) were attained after 3 h at 50 °C. The corresponding parameters were 16% and 1090 for n-heptane oxidation under the same conditions. The oxidation of higher alkanes, RH, in acetonitrile gives almost exclusively the corresponding alkyl hydroperoxides, ROOH. Light alkanes (n-butane, propane, ethane, and methane) have been also oxygenated by the system under consideration. The highest TON (200) was attained for ethane and the highest yield (19%) was obtained in the case of n-butane. The selectivity parameters measured for the oxidation of linear and branched alkanes are low, the reaction with cis- and trans-1,2-dimethylcyclohexanes is not stereoselective. These facts lead us to conclude that the oxidation occurs with the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the crucial step.     

Is nitrogen functionality responsible for contrasted responses of riverine dissolved organic matter in pyrolysis?

Fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the Loire and the Gartempe rivers were obtained using Amberlite XAD resin fractionation procedure. According to the eluting system used and to the polarity of their components, the fractions were termed hydrophobic (HPO) and transphilic (TPI) for the Loire (elution with acetonitrile/water mixture) and hydrophobic acid (HPOA) and transphilic acid (TPIA) for the Gartempe (elution with NaOH). In addition, for the Loire, colloids (COL) were pre-isolated through a dialysis step. The composition of the three fractions from the Loire was investigated with solid state cross polarisation/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) ¹³C NMR and Curie point pyrolysis at 650 °C with and without tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). Separation and identification of the released compounds were performed using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and focussed on nitrogen-containing pyrolysis products (N-products). Quantitative differences were observed between the N-product distribution of the HPO and TPI fractions, whilst the few N-products from the COL fraction exhibited different structures corresponding to peptidoglycan contribution. Comparison with previous results obtained for two DOM fractions (HPOA and TPIA) from the Gartempe river (France) revealed that pyrolysis detection of nitrogen containing molecules is not only related to the nitrogen content of the fractions, even in the case of similar hydrophobicity, but also likely to the functionality of nitrogen in the macromolecule sources. To correlate the molecular level information about N-containing moieties with the functionality of nitrogen in the macromolecular sources, the five fractions of DOM were investigated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and solid state cross polarisation/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) ¹⁵N NMR. C1s XPS and ¹⁵N NMR analyses revealed an important contribution from amide nitrogen in all the DOM fractions, with a large increase from the hydrophobic fractions to the transphilic and colloids ones. Moreover, ¹⁵N NMR revealed an additional pyrrole nitrogen contribution in the HPO fraction of the Loire and in the TPI and TPIA fractions of both rivers. For the two rivers, the δ ¹⁵N values were maximal for the fraction containing the highest proportion of amide N, and decreased in parallel with increasing pyrrole N contribution. Only the hydrophobic acid fraction of the Gartempe, which did not contain any pyrrole N was characterised by a lack of N-containing pyrolysis products, suggesting that their detection could be dependent on the presence of pyrrole N in the macromolecule sources.     

Protonation Sites in Gaseous Pyrrole and Imidazole: A Neutralization–Reionization and ab initio Study

Mild gas-phase acids C₄H₉⁺ and NH₄⁺ protonate pyrrole at C-2 and C-3 but not at the nitrogen atom, as determined by deuterium labeling and neutralization–reionization mass spectrometry. Proton affinities in pyrrole are calculated by MP2/6–311G(2d, p) as 866, 845 and 786 kJ mol^-1 for protonation at C-2, C-3 and N, respectively. Vertical neutralization of protonated pyrrole generates bound radicals that in part dissociate by loss of hydrogen atoms. Unimolecular loss of hydrogen atom from C-2-and C-3-protonated pyrrole cations is preceded by proton migration in the ring. Protonation of gaseous imidazole is predicted to occur exclusively at the N-3 imine nitrogen to yield a stable aromatic cation. Proton affinities in imidazole are calculated as 941, 804, 791, 791 and 724 for the N-3, C-4, C-2, C-5 and N-1 positions, respectively. Radicals derived from protonated imidazole are only weakly bound. Vertical neutralization of N-3-protonated imidazole is accompanied by large Franck–Condon effects which deposit on average 183 kJ mol^-1 vibrational energy in the radicals formed. The radicals dissociate unimolecularly by loss of hydrogen atom, which involves both direct N-H bond cleavage and isomerization to the more stable C-2 H-isomer. Potential energy barriers to isomerizations and dissociations in protonated pyrrole and imidazole isomers and their radicals were investigated by ab initio calculations.