Pure and N-substituted Small Cyclic Hydrocarbon Cations and Anions Synthesis in The Ionosphere of Titan: An Ab-Initio Quantum Chemical Perspective

Abstract:

The instruments on board the CASSINI spacecraft observed large carbonaceous molecules in the upper atmosphere of Titan. How these large polyatomic molecules are synthesized in such exotic conditions is, thus far, unknown. Molecular ions, including positive and negative ions, especially large anions, are in abundance in the ionosphere of Titan. Barrier-less ion-molecule interactions may play a major role ­– ions provide electrostatic steering force – in guiding molecules towards each other and initiating reactions. We study these condensation pathways to determine whether they are a viable means of forming large pure hydrocarbon molecules, and nitrogen-containing carbonaceous chains, stacks, and even cyclic compounds. We employ accurate quantum chemical methods to investigate the processes of growth, structures, nature of bonding, mechanisms, and spectroscopic properties of the ensuing ionic products after pairing small carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen-containing molecules with major ions observed in the upper atmosphere of Titan, e.g. C₂H₅⁺ and HCNH⁺, apart from a whole host of small hydrocarbons. We also studied the ion-neutral association pathways involving pure-carbon molecules e.g. acetylene, ethylene and other hydrocarbons, and their dissociation fragments in a plasma discharge. We found the molecular building blocks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as phenyl cations can form very easily by the combination of smaller hydrocarbons followed by hydrogen loss. We have investigated how nitrogen atoms are incorporated into the carbon ring during growth. Specifically, we explored the mechanisms by which the synthesis of pyrimidine will be feasible in the atmosphere of Titan in conjunction with ion-mobility experiments. Futher, we study the formation process of anions, and study their potential energy surfaces. We have used accurate ab initio coupled cluster theory, Møller-Plesset perturbation theory, density functional theory (DFT), and coupled cluster theory (CCSD(T)) quantum chemical methods together with large correlation consistent basis sets in these investigations. We found that a series of hydrocarbons with a specific stoichiometric composition prefers cyclic molecule formation rather than chains.