Formation of HCN and acetylene oligomers by photolysis of ammonia in the presence of acetylene: applications to the atmospheric chemistry of Jupiter

Journal Article · Wed Jun 22 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00221a033· OSTI ID:6186633

Ferris, J P; Ishikawa, Y

HCN is formed by the photolysis of ammonia in the presence of acetylene at room temperature. There is a 70% decrease in the yield of HCN when the temperature is lowered to 178 K and two new reaction products, acetonitrile and acetaldehyde ethylidenehydrazone (6), are formed. Photolysis of 6 yields acetonitrile, and the hydrogen atom initiated decomposition of acetonitrile yields HCN. Aziridine, a predicted reaction intermediate, was not detected at 298 or 178 K. Oligomers of acetylene are also formed. Oligomers formed by the photolysis of ammonia in the presence of acetylene were shown by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to contain NH groupings and to differ from those produced by the direct photolysis of acetylene. The possible role of these photochemical processes on the formation of HCN and chromophores on Jupiter, Titan, and comets is discussed.

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6186633
• Journal Information: J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Am. Chem. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 110:13; ISSN JACSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400400* -- Electrochemistry
640107 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACETYLENE
ALKYNES
AMMONIA
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL PREPARATION
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CYANIDES
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDRIDES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCYANIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
JUPITER PLANET
LOW TEMPERATURE
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOLYSIS
PLANETS
REACTION INTERMEDIATES
SYNTHESIS
YIELDS