Theoretical survey of the gas-phase reactions of allylamine with Co+

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to survey the gas-phase reactions of allylamine with Co+. The geometries and bonding characteristics of all the stationary points involved in the reactions have been investigated at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Final energies are obtained by means of the B3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2pd) single-point calculations. The performance of these theoretical methods is valuated with respect to the available thermochemical data. Co+ strongly binds allylamine by forming a chelated structure in which the metal cation binds concomitantly to the two functional groups of the neutral molecule. Various mechanisms leading to the loss of NH3, NH2, C2H2, and H-2 are analyzed in terms of the topology of the potential energy surface. The most favorable mechanism corresponds to the loss of NH3, through a process of C-N activation followed by a concerted beta-H shift. The accompanying NH2 elimination is also discussed. The loss of C2H2 is also favorable, through C-C activation and stepwise beta-H shift, giving Co+(NH2CH3) and Co+H(NH2CH2) as the product ions. Various possible channels for the loss of H-2 are considered. The most favorable mechanism of the H-2 loss corresponds to a pathway through which the metal acts as a carrier, connecting a hydrogen atom from the methylidyne group of allylamine with a hydrogen atom of the terminal methylene group. The product ion of this pathway has a tricoordinated structure in which Co+ binds to the terminal two Cs and N atoms of the NH2CH2CCH moiety.