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Ion beam studies of organometallic chemistry. High energy sampling of reaction intermediates involved in carbon-carbon bond cleavage by transition metals

Journal Article · · J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00525a052· OSTI ID:5345693

Chemical transformation often involves reactive intermediates which correspond to local minima on a complex potential energy surface. In this study of the reactions of cobalt ions with alkanes, the intermediate is provided more energy than needed for reaction. The quantitative assessment of the fragmentation of reaction intermediates provided thermodynamic data. These investigations involved organo transition metal reactions using ion beam technqiues. Results for the reaction of Co/sup +/ with 2-methylpropane and 2,2-dimethylpropane are included. The observation that the cross section for production of CoCH/sub 3//sup +/ is always greater than that of C/sub 3/H/sub 7/+ implies that IP(C/sub 0/CH/sub 3/) < IP(iso-C/sub 3/H/sub 7/) = 7.36 eV. A similar analysis of the 2,2-dimethylpropane system establishes IP(CoCH/sub 3/) > IP(tert-C/sub 4/H/sub 9/) = 6.70 eV. Measurement of the thresholds for the endothermic processes observed at high energies provides band energies of the products. Preliminary data for the endothermic reactions of Co/sup +/ with hydrogen and ethane indicate that D/sup 0/(Co/sup +/-H) = 52 +- 4 and D/sup 0/(Co -- CH/sub 3/) = 61 +- 4 kcal/mol. Combined with the ionization potentials, IP(CoH) = 7.3 +- 0.1 and IP(CoCH/sub 3/) = 7.0 +- 0.3 EV; we find the neutral band dissociation energies, D/sup 0/(CoH) = 39 +- 6 and D/sup 0/(CoCH/sub 3/) = 41 +- 10 kcal/mol. The results provide substantial evidence for the viability of a mechanism for carbon-carbon bond cleavage of alkanes which involves direct insertion of a metal into the carbon-carbon band as a first step. Thermochemical data indicating strong metal-carbon bonds corroborate this hypothesis. 2 figures. (DP)

Research Organization:
California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena
OSTI ID:
5345693
Journal Information:
J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 102:5; ISSN JACSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English