Barrierless Reactions of Three Benzonitrile Radical Cations with Ethylene

Abstract

Reactions of three protonated benzonitrile radical cations with ethylene are investigated. Product branching ratios and reaction kinetics, measured using ion-trap mass spectrometry, are reported and mechanisms are developed with support from quantum chemical calculations. Reactions proceed via pre-reactive van der Waals complexes with no energy barrier (above the reactant energy) and form radical addition and addition–elimination product ions. Rate coefficients are 4-dehydrobenzonitrilium: 1.72±0.01×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, 3-dehydrobenzonitrilium: 1.85±0.01×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, and 2-dehydrobenzonitrilium: 5.96±0.06×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 (with±50% absolute uncertainty). A ring-closure mechanism involving the protonated nitrile substituent is proposed for the 2-dehydrobenzonitrilium case and suggests favourable formation of the protonated indenimine cation.