Formation of thermodynamically stable dications in the gas phase by thermal ion–molecule reactions: Nb2+ with small alkanes

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Abstract
The gas-phase reactions of Nb2+ with small alkanes at thermal energies are reported. For methane and ethane, dehydrogenation is a prominent reaction pathway. For propane and butane, charge transfer is virtually the only reaction pathway observed (>99%). NbCH2+2 and NbC2H2+2 formed in the reactions of Nb2+ with methane and ethane are thermodynamically stable with D(Nb2+–CH2)=197±10 kcal/mol, D(Nb+–CH+2)=107±10 kcal/mol, D(Nb2+–C2H2)≥74 kcal/mol, and D(Nb+–C2H+2)≥7 kcal/mol. The stability of these ions is most likely due to the charge-stabilizing effect of the metal center. Collision-induced dissociation of these ions results in charge-splitting reactions as well as reactions in which both charges remain on the metal center. Hydride transfer is observed to be competitive in the primary reactions of Nb2+ with alkanes. The hydride- and charge-transfer results are in qualitative agreement with a simple curve-crossing model.