An ab initio potential energy surface for the reaction N+ + H2 → NH+ + H

Preliminary results of ab initio unrestricted Hartree-Fock calculations for the potential energy surface for the reaction N⁺ + H₂ → NH⁺ + H are reported. For the collinear approach of N⁺ to H₂, the ³Σ^? surface has no activation barrier and has a shallow well (ca. 1 eV). For perpendicular approach (C_2v symmetry) the ³B₂ state is of high energy, the ³A₂ state has a shallow well but as the bond angle increases the ³B₁ state decreases in energy to become the state of lowest energy. Neither the collinear nor the perpendicular approaches give adiabatic pathways to the deep potential well of ³B₁ (HNH)⁺.