Reaction studies of carbon clusters

Reaction studies of carbon clustersC _n in the rangen=8–37, produced by laser vaporisation in a supersonic nozzle, have been investigated using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Clear differences in reaction products formed on hydrogenation are detected which show that even and odd clusters behave quite differently and furthermore thatat least two different types of even cluster appear to exist. The reactivity patterns for clusters C _n withn=16, 18 and 22 are in a different class from those withn=20, 24, 26 ..., a behaviour consistent with the existence of closed cage fullerene structures for even clusters with 20 or more carbon atoms (other thann=22).     

Syntheses,Structures and Photoelectron Spectra of Phospha-Alkenes and Phospha-Alkynes and Their Transition Metal Complexes

Abstract

The chemistry of the novel phospha-alkenes RP[dbnd]CR'₂, and phospha-alkynes, RC[tbnd]P, containing 2pπ-3pπ bonds is of current interest.^1,2 Recent molecular orbital calculations,^3,4 suggest that the highest occupied molecular orbital in CH₂[dbnd]PH is of the π-type with the phosphorus lone pair ó-orbital only slightly more stable while the π? lumo orbital is relatively low lying. We now report He (I) photoelectron spectroscopic studies on a variety of RC[tbnd]P molecules^5,6 which indicate that the homo is also of the π-type and the π-σ separation is much greater than that found in the analogous RC[tbnd]N systems.     

The microwave spectrum,structure, and dipole moment of the unstable molecule phosphaethene,CH2PH

A detailed rotational analysis of the microwave spectrum between 26.5 and 40 GHz of phosphaethene, CH₂PH, has been carried out. This molecule is the simplest member of a new class of unstable molecules—the phosphaalkenes. The species can be produced by pyrolysis of (CH₃)₂PH, CH₃PH₂ and also somewhat more efficiently from Si(CH₃)₃CH₂PH₂. Full first-order centrifugal distortion analyses have been carried out for both ¹²CH₂³¹PH and ¹²CH₂³¹PD yielding: A₀ = 138 503.20(21), B₀ = 16 418.105(26), and C₀ = 14 649.084(28) MHz for ¹²CH₂³¹PH. The 1₀₁-0₀₀μ_A lines have also been detected for ¹³CH₂PH, cis-CDHPH and trans-CHDPH. These data have enabled an accurate structure determination to be carried out which indicates: $\text{r(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{C}\text{) = 1.09 ± 0.015}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{CP}\text{) = 124.4 ± 0.8°; r(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{t}}\text{C}\text{) = 1.09 ± 0.015}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{t}}\text{CP}\text{) = 118.4 ± 1.2°; r(}\text{CP}\text{) = 1.673 ± 0.002}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{HCH}\text{) = 117.2 ± 1.2°; r(}\text{PH}\text{) = 1.420 ± 0.006}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{CPH}\text{) = 97.4 ± 0.4°}$. The dipole moment components have been determined as μ_A = 0.731 (2), μ_B = 0.470 (3), μ = 0.869 (3) D for CH₂PH; μ_A = 0.710 (2), μ_B = 0.509 (10), μ = 0.874 (7) D for CH₂PD.     

The microwave spectrum of 1-phosphabut-3-ene-1-yne, CH2=CHCP

The new molecule 1-phosphabut-3-ene-1-yne, CH₂=CHCP, produced by pyrolyzing prop-1-ene-3-phosphorus dichloride, CH₂=CHCH₂PCl₂, was detected by microwave spectroscopy. The analysis of the rotational transitions indicates that the molecule is planar with constants: A₀ = 46 694(24), B₀ = 2807.7100(21), and C₀ = 2645.8356(21) MHz. These rotational constants indicate that the structure of the vinyl group is essentially the same as that in CH₂=CHCN and CH₂=CHCCH; r(C---C) = 1.432 Å and (C=C---C) = 123.9°. The dipole moment parameters are μ_A = 1.181(2), μ_B = 0.074(1), and μ = 1.183(2) D. The vibrational satellite spectra for the C---CP bending modes indicate that ν₁₁(a′) = 184 ± 30 cm⁻¹ and ν₁₅(a″) = 263 ± 30 cm⁻¹.     

The microwave spectrum, structure, and barrier to internal rotation of selenoacetaldehyde, CH3CHSe

The rotational spectrum of the unstable molecule selenoacetaldehyde, CH₃CHSe, has been studied by microwave spectroscopy between 26.5 and 40 GHz. Transitions have been measured for five abundant selenium isotopic variants. These measurements have, together with structural information from the related molecules CH₃CHS and CH₃CHO, allowed reliable data on the C=Se bond length (1.758 ± 0.01 Å) and the e angle (125.7 ± 0.3°) to be derived. The spectral lines show splittings due to hindered internal rotation and using these together with the derived structure, barrier heights of 1602 cal mole⁻¹ (6703 J mole⁻¹) and 1648 cal mole⁻¹ (6859 J mole⁻¹) have been determined for the ground and first torsionally excited states, respectively.     

Infrared spectra of 1-phosphapropyne,CH3CP,and its perdeuteride,CD3CP

The infrared spectra of 1-phosphapropyne, CH₃CP, and its perdeuteride, CD₃CP, have been measured in the gaseous and solid states. The Q_K branches of perpendicular bands have been analyzed in terms of the usual quadratic expression in K. Fermi resonances were identified for the ν₁, ν₂ + ν₃, 2ν₃, 2ν₆⁰; and ν₅, 2ν₃ + ν₈ band systems of CH₃CP and the ν₁, 2ν₃, 2ν₆⁰; ν₆, ν₇ + ν₈; and ν₇, 3ν₈¹ band systems of CD₃CP. The xy Coriolis interaction was also identified between the ν₃ and ν₆ bands of the two species. All the fundamentals were assigned and the normal coordinate treatment was carried out along with the Coriolis constants, ζ^z.     

The microwave spectrum of 1-phenylphosphaethyne,C6H5CP

The molecule 1-phenylphosphaethyne, C₆H₅CP, was detected by microwave spectroscopy when Ph(Me₃Si)CPCl was pyrolyzed in the gas phase at 750°C. Asymmetric rotor transitions between 26.5 and 40 GHz with J = 16 to 22 were analyzed to yield A₀ = 5669.044(72), B₀ = 933.79209(71), and C₀ = 801.59279(75). These data indicate that the bond length r(CC) between the ring and CP group carbon atom is 1.467 Å.     

The smallest stable fullerene, M@C28 (m = Ti, Zr, U): stabilization and growth from carbon vapor

The smallest fullerene to form in condensing carbon vapor has received considerable interest since the discovery of Buckminsterfullerene, C(60). Smaller fullerenes remain a largely unexplored class of all-carbon molecules that are predicted to exhibit fascinating properties due to the large degree of curvature and resulting highly pyramidalized carbon atoms in their structures. However, that curvature also renders the smallest fullerenes highly reactive, making them difficult to detect experimentally. Gas-phase attempts to investigate the smallest fullerene by stabilization through cage encapsulation of a metal have been hindered by the complexity of mass spectra that result from vaporization experiments which include non-fullerene clusters, empty cages, and metallofullerenes. We use high-resolution FT-ICR mass spectrometry to overcome that problem and investigate formation of the smallest fullerene by use of a pulsed laser vaporization cluster source. Here, we report that the C(28) fullerene stabilized by encapsulation with an appropriate metal forms directly from carbon vapor as the smallest fullerene under our conditions. Its stabilization is investigated, and we show that M@C(28) is formed by a bottom-up growth mechanism and is a precursor to larger metallofullerenes. In fact, it appears that the encapsulating metal species may catalyze or nucleate endohedral fullerene formation.