Gas-Phase Reaction of Nb+ and Fe+ with Perfluoronaphthalene and Perfluoroanthracene[#]

Saša Kazazic[1], Snježana P. Kazazic[1], Leo Klasinc[1, 2], Sean P. McGlynn[2] and Dunja Srzic[1]

[1] The Rudjer Boškovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
[2] Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge,USA

We investigate the gas-phase reaction of Nb+ and Fe+ ions with perfluoronaphthalene and perfluoroanthracene compounds. The perfluoro effect shifts the s-orbitals of these compounds to higher ionization energies and, as a result, they exhibit several outer-valence-ring p-orbitals. It might be expected that reactions with these compounds will proceed mostly through p-interaction between the metal and PAH orbitals. Surprisingly, as we will see, this is not the case. Fe+ reacts with perfluoronaphthalene (NF8) and perfluoroanthracene (AF10) by successive addition and (sandwich) dimer formation. Nb+, however, reacts by extraction of F atoms, preferably 4, followed by the formation of dimers that do not contain any metal atoms. The structure of this abundant ionic product AF6 is elucidated by quantum chemical calculations.

# Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Franjo Kajfež, a great Croatian medicinal chemist, who passed away on April 23, 2004.