Ion Rearrangement at the Beginning of Cluster Formation: Methyl Substitution Effects on the Internal SN2 Reaction in the Proton-Bound Dimers of Acetonitrile and Alcohols

Abstract

Mass spectrometry and ab initio calculations have been employed to investigate the unimolecular decompositions of proton-bound dimers consisting of acetonitrile with n- and i-propanol. Common to both systems is a competition between dissociation of the hydrogen bond in the proton-bound dimer and isomerization to (CH3CNR)(H2O)+ [R = CH2CH2CH3 and CH(CH3)2]. The minimum-energy-reaction pathways for the isomerization in these two systems, as well as those for the dimers containing methanol and ethanol, are presented and compared. The dominant isomerization pathway for these ions is an internal SN2 reaction that proceeds via a stable intermediate CH3CN•••ROH2+ ion [R = CH3, CH2CH3, CH2CH2CH3 and CH(CH3)2]. The mass spectra for the four butanol-containing dimers ( n-, s-, i- and t-butanol) follow similar behavior.