Experimental and theoretical studies are presented on the reactivity of H2CNH•+ (methanimine) and HCNH2•+ (aminomethylene) with ethene (C2H4). Selective isomer generation is performed via dissociative photoionization of suitable neutral precursors and reactive cross sections and branching ratios are measured as a function of photon and collision energies. Differences between isomers’ reactivity are discussed in light of ab-initio calculations on reaction mechanisms. The main products, for both isomers, are H-elimination, most likely occurring from covalently bound adducts (giving c-CH2CH2CHNH+/ CH2NHCHCH2+) and H• atom transfer to yield H2CNH2+. The astrochemical implications of the results are briefly addressed.
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Sundelin D., Ascenzi D., Richardson V., Alcaraz C., Polášek M., Romanzin C., Thissen R., Tosi P., Žabka J., Geppert W. The reactivity of methanimine radical cation (H2CNH•+) and its isomer aminomethylene (HCNH2•+) with C2H4. Chemical Physics Letters 777, 138677 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2021.138677
