GAS-PHASE REACTIONS OF HYDRIDE ANION, H^–

Abstract

Rate constants were measured at 300 K for the reactions of the hydride anion, H−, with neutral molecules C2H2, H2O, CH3CN, CH3OH, (CH3)2CO, CH3CHO, N2O, CO2, O2, CO, CH3Cl, (CH3)3CCl, (CH3CH2)2O, C6H6, and D2 using a flowing-afterglow instrument. Experimental work was supplemented by ab initio calculations to provide insight into the viability of reaction pathways. Our reported rate constants should prove useful to models of astrophysical environments where conditions prevail for the existence of both H− and neutral species. The variety of neutral reactants studied includes representative species from prototypical chemical groups, effectively mapping reactivity trends for the hydride anion.