Control of Product Distribution and Mechanism by Ligation and Electric Field in the Thermal Activation of Methane

Lei Yue, Jilai Li*, Shaodong Zhou, Xiaoyan Sun, Maria Schlangen, Sason Shaik, Helmut Schwarz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

An unexpected mechanistic switch as well as a change of the product distribution in the thermal gas-phase activation of methane have been identified when diatomic [ZnO].+ is ligated with acetonitrile. Theoretical studies suggest that a strong metal–carbon attraction in the pristine [ZnO].+ species plays an important role in the rebound of the incipient CH3. radical to the metal center, thus permitting the competitive generation of CH3., OH., and CH3OH. This interaction is drastically weakened by a single CH3CN ligand. As a result, upon ligation the proton-coupled single electron transfer that prevails for [ZnO].+/CH4 switches to the classical hydrogen-atom-transfer process, thus giving rise to the exclusive expulsion of CH3.. This ligand effect can be modeled quite well by an oriented external electric field of a negative point charge.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10219-10223
Number of pages5
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume56
Issue number34
DOIs
StatePublished - 14 Aug 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Keywords

  • external electric field
  • gas-phase reaction
  • hydrogen-atom transfer
  • ligand effect
  • methane activation

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