Crossed beam reactions of methylidyne [CH(X2Π)] with D2-acetylene [C2D2(X1Σg+)] and of D1-methylidyne [CD(X2Π)] with acetylene [C2H2(X1Σg+)

Abstract

The crossed molecular beam reactions of ground state methylidyne, CH(X(2)Π), with D2-acetylene, C(2)D(2)(X(1)Σ(g)(+)), and of D1-methylidyne, CD(X(2)Π), with acetylene, C(2)H(2)(X(1)Σ(g)(+)), were conducted under single collision conditions at a collision energy of 17 kJ mol(-1). Four competing reaction channels were identified in each system following atomic 'hydrogen' (H/D) and molecular 'hydrogen' (H(2)/D(2)/HD) losses. The reaction dynamics were found to be indirect via complex formation and were initiated by two barrierless-addition pathways of methylidyne/D1-methylidyne to one and to both carbon atoms of the D2-acetylene/acetylene reactant yielding HCCDCD/DCCHCH and c-C(3)D(2)H/c-C(3)H(2)D collision complexes, respectively. The latter decomposed via atomic hydrogen/deuterium ejection to form the thermodynamically most stable cyclopropenylidene species (c-C(3)H(2), c-C(3)D(2), c-C(3)DH). On the other hand, the HCCDCD/DCCHCH adducts underwent hydrogen/deuterium shifts to form the propargyl radicals (HDCCCD, D(2)CCCH; HDCCCH, H(2)CCCD) followed by molecular 'hydrogen' losses within the rotational plane of the decomposing complex yielding l-C(3)H/l-C(3)D. Quantitatively, our crossed beam studies suggest a dominating atomic compared to molecular 'hydrogen' loss with fractions of 81 ± 23% vs. 19 ± 10% for the CD/C(2)H(2) and 87 ± 30% vs. 13 ± 4% for the CH/C(2)D(2) systems. The role of these reactions in the formation of interstellar isomers of C(3)H(2) and C(3)H is also discussed.