Dissociative electron attachment and electron energy-loss spectra of phenyl azide

Abstract

Electron-induced chemistry—dissociative electron attachment (DEA)—was studied for phenyl azide. The major fragment corresponded to the loss of N₂ and formation of the phenylnitrene anion. This process has an onset already at zero kinetic energy of the incident electron and is interpreted as proceeding via the A″π* electronic ground state of the phenyl azide anion. Other fragments, N₃⁻ and CN⁻, were observed at higher energies and interpreted as proceeding via low-lying shape resonances or higher lying core-excited resonances. The interpretation of the dissociative attachment spectra was supported by an investigation of the excited electronic states of neutral phenyl azide by electron energy-loss spectroscopy and DFT/MRCI calculations, and a study of shape and core-excited resonances of the phenyl azide anion by means of electron transmission spectroscopy and of cross sections for vibrational and electronic excitation by electron impact. Interesting parallels and differences are found by comparing DEA of phenyl and benzyl azides with the corresponding chloro compounds.