Photodissociation of pyrrole-ammonia clusters by velocity map imaging: mechanism for the H-atom transfer reaction

The photodissociation dynamics of pyrrole-ammonia clusters (PyH·(NH(3))(n), n = 2-6) has been studied using a combination of velocity map imaging and non-resonant detection of the NH(4)(NH(3))(n-1) products. The excited state hydrogen-atom transfer mechanism (ESHT) is evidenced through delayed ionization and presents a threshold around 236.6 nm, in agreement with previous reports. A high resolution determination of the kinetic energy distributions (KEDs) of the products reveals slow (～0.15 eV) and structured distributions for all the ammonia cluster masses studied. The low values of the measured kinetic energy rule out the existence of a long-lived intermediate state, as it has been proposed previously. Instead, a direct N-H bond rupture, in the fashion of the photodissociation of bare pyrrole, is proposed. This assumption is supported by a careful analysis of the structure of the measured KEDs in terms of a discrete vibrational activity of the pyrrolyl co-fragment.     

Photodissociation of metal-silicon clusters: encapsulated versus surface-bound metal

Metal-silicon cluster cations of the form MSi(n)+ (M = Cu, Ag, Cr) are produced in a molecular beam with pulsed laser vaporization. These species are mass-selected in a reflectron time-of-flight spectrometer and studied with laser photodissociation at 532 and 355 nm. For the noble metals copper and silver, photodissociation of the n = 7 and 10 clusters proceeds primarily by the loss of metal atoms, indicating that the metal is not located within the interior of silicon cages, and that metal-silicon bonding is weaker than silicon-silicon bonding. Chromium-silicon clusters for n = 7 also lose primarily the metal atom, but at n = 15 and 16 these dissociate via the loss of silicon, producing smaller metal-silicon species. This behavior is consistent with stronger metal-silicon bonding and encapsulated metal structures, as suggested previously by theory. MSi6(+) cations are produced efficiently in all of these photodissociation processes, indicating that these species have enhanced stability compared to other small clusters. Improved values are obtained for the ionization potentials of Si7 and Si10.     

Photodissociation of benzene under collision-free conditions: an ab initio/Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus study

The ab initio/Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) approach has been applied to investigate the photodissociation mechanism of benzene at various wavelengths upon absorption of one or two UV photons followed by internal conversion into the ground electronic state. Reaction pathways leading to various decomposition products have been mapped out at the G2M level and then the RRKM and microcanonical variational transition state theories have been applied to compute rate constants for individual reaction steps. Relative product yields (branching ratios) for C(6)H(5)+H, C(6)H(4)+H(2), C(4)H(4)+C(2)H(2), C(4)H(2)+C(2)H(4), C(3)H(3)+C(3)H(3), C(5)H(3)+CH(3), and C(4)H(3)+C(2)H(3) have been calculated subsequently using both numerical integration of kinetic master equations and the steady-state approach. The results show that upon absorption of a 248 nm photon dissociation is too slow to be observable in molecular beam experiments. In photodissociation at 193 nm, the dominant dissociation channel is H atom elimination (99.6%) and the minor reaction channel is H(2) elimination, with the branching ratio of only 0.4%. The calculated lifetime of benzene at 193 nm is about 11 micros, in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 10 micros. At 157 nm, the H loss remains the dominant channel but its branching ratio decreases to 97.5%, while that for H(2) elimination increases to 2.1%. The other channels leading to C(3)H(3)+C(3)H(3), C(5)H(3)+CH(3), C(4)H(4)+C(2)H(2), and C(4)H(3)+C(2)H(3) play insignificant role but might be observed. For photodissociation upon absorption of two UV photons occurring through the neutral "hot" benzene mechanism excluding dissociative ionization, we predict that the C(6)H(5)+H channel should be less dominant, while the contribution of C(6)H(4)+H(2) and the C(3)H(3)+C(3)H(3), CH(3)+C(5)H(3), and C(4)H(3)+C(2)H(3) radical channels should significantly increase.     

Kinetic of sorbitol decomposition under non-isothermal conditions

The thermal behavior of sorbitol was studied under non-isothermal conditions, in both air and nitrogen atmosphere. The main process is a deep and continuous dehydration. For the kinetic analysis, the TG/DTG data obtained at five heating rates were processed by three different methods: Friedman, Budrugeac-Segal and non-parametric kinetic, respectively. This analysis indicates a complex reaction with a preponderant chemical process, described by a conversion function (1−α)^3/2, accompanied by diffusion.     

Photodissociation of azulene at 193 nm: ab initio and RRKM study

The ab initio/Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) approach has been applied to investigate the photodissociation mechanism of azulene at 6.4 eV (the laser wavelength of 193 nm) upon absorption of one UV photon followed by internal conversion into the ground electronic state. Reaction pathways leading to various decomposition products have been mapped out at the G3(MP2,CC)//B3LYP level and then the RRKM and microcanonical variational transition state theories have been applied to compute rate constants for individual reaction steps. Relative product yields (branching ratios) for the dissociation products have been calculated using the steady-state approach. The results show that photoexcited azulene can readily isomerize to naphthalene and the major dissociation channel is elimination of an H-atom from naphthalene. The branching ratio of this channel decreases with an increase of the photon energy. Acetylene elimination is the second probable reaction channel and its branching ratio rises as the photon energy increases. The main C8H6 fragments at 193 nm are phenylacetylene and pentalene and the yield of the latter grows fast with the increasing excitation energy.     

Photodissociation of neutral argon clusters with visible laser light: new experimental evidence

Recently we have observed [1–4] photodissociation of neutral van der Waals clusters induced by visible laser light using coaxial interaction between the beams. Because of possible artifacts we have repeated here this experiment in a crossed beam configuration. The present results confirm the occurrence of this photodissociation effect. We suggest tentatively that excitation via Raman scattering is the origin of this phenomenon.     

Energy transfer of highly vibrationally excited azulene. II. Photodissociation of azulene-Kr van der Waals clusters at 248 and 266 nm

Photodissociation of azulene-Kr van der Waals clusters at 266 and 248 nm was studied using velocity map ion imaging techniques with the time-sliced modification. Scattered azulene molecules produced from the dissociation of clusters were detected by one-photon vacuum ultraviolet ionization. Energy transfer distribution functions were obtained from the measurement of recoil energy distributions. The distribution functions can be described approximately by multiexponential functions. Fragment angular distributions were found to be isotropic. The energy transfer properties show significantly different behavior from those of bimolecular collisions. No supercollisions were observed under the signal-to-noise ratios S/N=400 and 100 at 266 and 248 nm, respectively. Comparisons with the energy transfer of bimolecular collisions in thermal systems and the crossed-beam experiment within detection limit are made.     

Kinetic of decomposition of some complexes under non-isothermal conditions

Kinetics of thermal decomposition of three structurally similar complexes Co₂Cu(C₂O₄)₃ (R-diam)₂, where R is ethyl, 1,2-propyl or 1,3-propyl, was studied under non-isothermal conditions and nitrogen dynamic atmosphere at heating rates of 5, 7, 10, 12 and 15 K min⁻¹. For data processing the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and a modified non-parametric kinetic methods were used. By both methods the activation energy are in the range of 97–102 kJ mol⁻¹. The formal kinetic is r=kα(1−α)². Also a compensation effect between lnA and E was evidenced. The kinetic analysis lead to the conclusion of an identic decomposition mechanism by a single step process.     

Unexpected photolytic decomposition of alkyl azides under mild conditions

Alkyl azides have been found to undergo an unexpectedly facile photodecomposition under mild conditions (laboratory light) and the reaction gives rise to small amounts of aldehydes and monoacyl aminal rearrangement products that can dramatically impact on the uses of azides in chemistry, biology and medicine.     

Radiation-induced decomposition of PETN and TATB under extreme conditions

We conducted a series of experiments investigating decomposition of secondary explosives PETN and TATB at varying static pressures and temperatures using synchrotron radiation. As seen in our earlier work, the decomposition rate of TATB at ambient temperature slows systematically with increasing pressure up to at least 26 GPa but varies little with pressure in PETN at ambient temperature up to 15.7 GPa, yielding important information pertaining to the activation complex volume in both cases. We also investigated the radiation-induced decomposition rate as a function of temperature at ambient pressure and 26 GPa for TATB up to 403 K, observing that the decomposition rate increases with increasing temperature as expected. The activation energy for the TATB reaction at ambient temperature was experimentally determined to be 16 +/- 3 kJ/mol.     

Photodissociation dynamics of the methyl radical at 212.5 nm: effect of parent internal excitation

Photodissociation dynamics of the CH3 radical at 212.5 nm has been investigated using the H atom Rydberg tagging time-of-flight method with a pure CH3 radical source generated by the photolysis of CH3I at 266 nm. Time-of-flight spectra of the H atom products from the photolysis of both cold and hot methyl radicals have been measured at different photolysis polarizations. Experimental results indicate that the photodissociation of the methyl radical in its ground vibrational state at 212.5 nm excitation occurs on a very fast time scale in comparison with its rotational period, indicating the CH3 dissociation at 212.5 nm occurs on the excited 3s Rydberg state surface. Experimental evidence also shows that the photodissociation of the methyl radical in the nu2 = 1 state of the umbrella mode at 212.5 nm excitation is characteristically different from that in the ground vibrational state.     

Reaction of carbon dioxide with ditolyltitanocenes under thermal decomposition conditions

Conclusions The reaction of CO₂ with ditolyltitanocenes under thermolysis conditions proceeds in two directions: insertion of CO₂ at the Ti-C₆H₄CH₃ bonds and the reaction of CO₂ with the dehydrotoluene complex of the titanocene, which is formed by the decomposition of Cp₂Ti(p-CH₃C₆H₄)₂ and Cp₂Ti(m-CH₃C₆H₄)₂.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1177–1180, May, 1978.     

The gas-phase decomposition of methylsilane. Part I. Mechanism of decomposition under shock-tube conditions

The gas-phase decompositions of methylsilane and methylsilane-d₃ have been investigated in a single-pulse shock tube at 4700 torr total pressure in the temperature range of 1125–1250 K. For CH₃SiD₃ at 1200 K three primary steps occur in the homogeneous decomposition with efficiencies in parentheses: , , and . For CH₃SiH₃ at 1200 K the primary CH₄ elimination efficiency is 0.09 while the total primary H₂ elimination efficiency is 0.91. Minor product formations of C₂H₄, acetylene, dimethylsilane, and SiH₄ are discussed.     

Gold-platinum bimetallic clusters for aerobic oxidation of alcohols under ambient conditions

We have developed gold/platinum alloyed bimetallic cluster catalysts supported on a cross-linked polystyrene derivative, which present much higher activity and selectivity than single metal gold or platinum clusters for aerobic oxidation of alcohols under ambient conditions.     

Fragmentation pathways of sulphonamides under electrospray tandem mass spectrometric conditions

Sulphonamides are antibacterial compounds used extensively in farming and veterinary practice. Residues are commonly found in meat and milk. The growing concern about antibiotic resistance of bacteria led to a lowering of the legal concentration limits of sulphonamides in food. A range of analytical methods, employing tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM), have been developed to allow screening at the limit of detection (LOD) levels. Interest was drawn to the fragment ions produced by the sulphonamides, some involving complex rearrangements that have not previously been looked at. Here we report an investigation into the fragmentation pattern of sulphonamides under electrospray (ES) MS/MS conditions using ion trap and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometers. Structures are proposed for the main fragment ions observed for a range of sulphonamides, the effects of the functional groups in the dissociation pathway of the compounds are investigated, and the mechanisms leading to the main fragment ions are explored.     

Communication: Suppression of sintering of size-selected Pd clusters under realistic reaction conditions for catalysis

The stability of model catalysts based on size-selected Pd clusters supported on graphite surfaces has been explored under realistic conditions for catalytic oxidation of methane at mild temperatures. The experimental results show that aggregated films of nanoparticles are highly unstable, but clusters pinned to the surface in the submonolayer coverage regime are much more stable against sintering. The degree of sintering of the pinned clusters, which does occur, proceeds by the release of clusters from their pinning sites. The suppression of sintering depends on the cluster deposition energy with respect to the pinning threshold.     

The gas-phase decomposition of methylsilane. Part II. Mechanisms of decomposition under static system conditions

The static system pyrolysis of methylsilane (T ～ 700 K, P_T ～ 150 torr), pure and in the presence of ethylene, propylene, and acetylene, has been investigated. It is proposed that in the uninhibited system, the major products (silane and dimethylsilane) are produced by free radical processes, and that the free radicals are formed at the walls from methylsilylenes. In the presence of olefins, the free radicals are trapped to form methylsilane adducts. In acetylene, trapping of methylsilylenes prevents free radical production and eliminates the free radical produced products of the pure and the olefin inhibited systems. Rates of initiation correlate with rates of reactant loss in acetylene inhibited systems, and with rates of hydrogen formation in olefin inhibited systems. Rough estimates of primary dissociation process yields give for the 1,1-H₂ elimination ?_1,1 ? 0.78, for the 1,2-H elimination ?_1,2 ? 0.16, and for the methane elimination ?CH₄ ? 0.06 at 700 K. Deuteration lowers initial step kinetics by about 15%.     

Thermal decomposition of polystyrene foam under controlled atmosphere and temperature conditions

The thermal decomposition of polystyrene foam with and without tetrabromovinylcyclohexene, at sample sizes permitting secondary reactions, was studied. The decomposition was carried out in a carefully controlled device providing high reproducibility at 823, 1023 and 1223 K, in air, in a mixture of air and nitrogen and in nitrogen. No flame source was included. The volatile products (boiling range roughly 350–750 K) were studied by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry.The study showed that the amounts of the products were dependent on the decomposition temperature and on the kind of sample. The products were very complex mixtures, containing, amongst others, monomer, oligomers, fused aromatic ring compounds, oxidized hydrocarbons and bromine-containing products. The types and amounts of the products were influenced by the atmosphere, the decomposition temperature and the type of sample.