Insights into the cycloaddition reaction mechanism between ketenimine and unsaturated hydrocarbon: A theoretical study

Abstract

The cycloaddition reaction mechanisms between interstellar molecule ketenimine and unsaturated hydrocarbon (ethyne and ethylene) have been systematically investigated employing the second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) method. Geometry optimizations and vibrational analyses have been performed for the stationary points on the potential energy surfaces of the system. The calculated results show that it can be produced the five-membered cyclic carbene intermediates through pericyclic reaction processes between ketenimine and ethyne (or ethylene). For the reaction between ketenimine and ethyne, through the following H-transferred processes, carbene intermediate can be isomerized to the pyrrole compounds. For the reaction between ketenimine and ethylene, carbene intermediate can be isomerized to the pyrroline compounds. The present study is helpful to understand the reactivity of nitrogenous cumulene ketenimine and the formation of prebiotic species in interstellar space.