The gas phase reaction of iridium and iridium carbide anions with 2-hydoxyethylhydrazine (HEH)

Understanding the chemistry of compounds that are similar to hydrazine has two advantages. First, it helps to identify less hazardous propellants to replace hydrazine as the most widely used monopropellant. And second, it helps to gain insight into the reaction mechanism that could be analogous to the decomposition of hydrazine into ammonia and nitrogen. Ionic liquids have already shown to be promising candidates to replace hydrazine. The molecule investigated in this study is 2-hydroxyethlyhydrazine (HOCH2CH2NHNH2; HEH), which is a neutral precursor to the ionic liquid 2-hydroxyethylhydrazinium nitrate (HEHN) and differs from hydrazine by the substitution of a hydrogen with a hydroxyethyl group. Gas phase photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory were used to examine the reaction between a HEH molecule and an Ir− anion as well as with IrC−. Suggested by the experimental and theoretical data, Ir− and IrC− react with HEH and can attack the C–N, C–O, N–N, C–H and the C–C bond in HEH. [Display omitted] •2-hydroxyetyhlhydrazine (HEH) (component of 2-hydroxyethylhydrazinium nitrate) was found to react violently with Ir- and IrC-.•Gas phase anion photoelectron spectra were taken and combined with DFT calculations to identify the products.•A wide variety of reaction pathways was found for the HEH and the iridium and iridium carbide anions.