Thermochemistry of the reactions of PH +2 ( 1A 1) and PH +2 ( 3B 1) with CO. A G2 molecular orbital study

Abstract

The Gaussian-2 (G2) theoretical procedure, based on ab initio molecular orbital theory, is used to study the potential energy surfaces corresponding to gas phase reactions between PH + 2 singlet and triplet state cations with carbon monoxide. Important differences between singlets and triplets, both regarding their bonding and their stabilities have been found. The most outstanding result is that, although the first 3B 1 excited state of PH + 2 is only about 20 kcal/mol above the 1A 1 ground state, the singlet global minimum of the [H 2, P, C, O] + potential energy surface lies 61 kcal/mol below the triplet global minimum. This is so because, in general, triplet state cations are ion—dipole complexes, while the singlets are covalently bound species. In agreement with experimental evidence, only the formation of the adduct is exothermic, while all processes yielding PO or PC containing species as well as the proton transfer reaction, are strongly endothermic. Estimates of the heats of formation of H 2PO + and HCP species are given.