Bimolecular reactions of distonic ions: Proton transfer and hydrogen atom abstraction with ^˙CH₂OH₂⁺

Abstract

Abstract The bimolecular reaction of ˙ CH 2 OH 2 + with a variety of neutral molecules in the gas phase were studied by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance experiments. The distonic ion is found to be considerably more acidic than protonated methanol; bracketing experiments provide a value of 695 ± 8 kJ mol −1 for the proton affinity of the conjugate base, the hydroxymethyl radical, Efficient hydrogen atom abstraction is only observed from neutral species less basic than ˙ CH 2 OH. Transfer of CH to CS 2 , CH 3 I and C 6 H 2 F 4 is observed.