Publications

Branching fractions of the CN + C 3H 6 reaction using synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry: Evidence for the 3-cyanopropene product

Trevitt, Adam J.; Soorkia, Satchin; Savee, John D.; Selby, Talitha S.; Osborn, David L.; Taatjes, Craig A.; Leone, Stephen R.

The gas-phase CN + propene reaction is investigated using synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry (SPIMS) over the 9.8 - 11.5 eV photon energy range. Experiments are conducted at room temperature in 4 Torr of He buffer gas. The CN + propene addition reaction produces two distinct product mass channels, C 3H 3N and C 4H 5N, corresponding to CH 3 and H elimination, respectively. The CH 3 and H elimination channels are measured to have branching fractions of 0.59 ± 0.15 and 0.41 ± 0.10, respectively. The absolute photoionization cross sections between 9.8 and 11.5 eV are measured for the three considered H-elimination coproducts: 1-, 2-, and 3-cyanopropene. Based on fits using the experimentally measured photoionization spectra for the C 4H 5N mass channel and contrary to the previous study (Int. J. Mass. Spectrom.2009, 280, 113 - 118), where it was concluded that 3-cyanopropene was not a significant product, the new data suggests 3-cyanopropene is produced in significant quantity along with 1-cyanopropene, with isomer branching fractions from this mass channel of 0.50 ± 0.12 and 0.50 ± 0.24, respectively. However, similarities between the 1-, 2-, and 3-cyanopropene photoionization spectra make an unequivocal assignment difficult based solely on photoionization spectra. The CN + CH 2CHCD 3 reaction is studied and shows, in addition to the H-elimination product signal, a D-elimination product channel (m/z 69, consistent with CH 2CHCD 2CN), providing further evidence for the formation of the 3-cyanopropene reaction product. © 2011 American Chemical Society.