Thermal Electron Attachment to Nitrous Oxide

Thermal electron attachment to nitrous oxide was investigated in the range −66 to 215°C. The attachment was found to be dissociative in nature with an activation energy of $\text{10.4±0.4}\mathrm{kcal}/\mathrm{mole}$ . The activation energy is thought to arise from electron attachment to molecules thermally excited primarily in the bending mode. In an attempt to explain the activation energy a simple Morse function was employed. Potential energy as a function of internuclear distance for both N₂O and N₂O⁻ was generated at different N₂O bond angles. In this manner a three‐dimensional surface for the reaction, $${\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}(}\mathrm{linear}\mathrm{)\to }{\mathrm{N}}_2\mathrm{O}\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}(}\mathrm{bent}\mathrm{)\to }{\displaystyle {lim}^{{\mathrm{+e}}^{-}}}{\mathrm{N}}_2+{\mathrm{O}}^{-},$$ was obtained. The potential surface has a minimum at a bond angle $\text{∼160°}$ . The electron affinity of N₂O is estimated at $\text{6.2±4}\mathrm{kcal}$ from the calculated N₂O⁻ potential‐energy surface. This is in general agreement with other reported values.