Insertion of noble gas atoms into cyanoacetylene: an ab initio and matrix isolation study

A computational and experimental matrix isolation study of insertion of noble gas atoms into cyanoacetylene (HCCCN) is presented. Twelve novel noble gas insertion compounds are found to be kinetically stable at the MP2 level of theory, including four molecules with argon. The first group of the computationally studied molecules belongs to noble gas hydrides (HNgCCCN and HNgCCNC), and we found their stability for Ng = Ar, Kr, and Xe. The HNgCCCN compounds with Kr and Xe have similar stability to that of previously reported HKrCN and HXeCN. The HArCCCN molecule seems to have a weaker H-Ar bond than in the previously identified HArF molecule. The HNgCCNC molecules are less stable than the HNgCCCN isomers for all noble gas atoms. The second group of the computational insertion compounds, HCCNgCN and HCCNgNC, are of a different type, and they also are kinetically stable for Ng = Ar, Kr, and Xe. Our photolysis and annealing experiments with low-temperature cyanoacetylene/Ng (Ng = Ar, Kr, and Xe) matrixes evidence the formation of two noble gas hydrides for Ng = Kr and Xe, with the strongest IR absorption bands at 1492.1 and 1624.5 cm(-1), and two additional absorption modes for each species are found. The computational spectra of HKrCCCN and HXeCCCN fit most closely the experimental data, which is the basis for our assignment. The obtained species absorb at quite similar frequencies as the known HKrCN and HXeCN molecules, which is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. No strong candidates for an Ar compound are observed in the IR absorption spectra. As an important side product of this work, the data obtained in long-term decay of KrHKr+ cations suggest a tentative assignment for the CCCN radical.