Theoretical Survey of the Gas-Phase Reactions of Allylamine with Co+

Abstract

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to survey the gas-phase reactions of allylamine with Co+. The geometries and bonding characteristics of all the stationary points involved in the reactions have been investigated at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Final energies are obtained by means of the B3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2pd) single-point calculations. The performance of these theoretical methods is valuated with respect to the available thermochemical data. Co+ strongly binds allylamine by forming a chelated structure in which the metal cation binds concomitantly to the two functional groups of the neutral molecule. Various mechanisms leading to the loss of NH3, NH2, C2H2, and H2 are analyzed in terms of the topology of the potential energy surface. The most favorable mechanism corresponds to the loss of NH3, through a process of C-N activation followed by a concerted beta-H shift. The accompanying NH2 elimination is also discussed. The loss of C2H2 is also favorable, through C-C activation and stepwise beta-H shift, giving Co+(NH2CH3) and Co+H(NH2CH2) as the product ions. Various possible channels for the loss of H2 are considered. The most favorable mechanism of the H2 loss corresponds to a pathway through which the metal acts as a carrier, connecting a hydrogen atom from the methylidyne group of allylamine with a hydrogen atom of the terminal methylene group. The product ion of this pathway has a tricoordinated structure in which Co+ binds to the terminal two Cs and N atoms of the NH2CH2CCH moiety.