Primary ethynamines (HC.tplbond.CNH2, PhC.tplbond.CNH2), aminopropadienone (H2NCH:C:C:O), and imidoylketene (HN:CHCH:C:O). Preparation and identification of molecules of cosmochemical interest

Ethynamine (HC similarly ordered CNH/sub 2/) has been prepared from three different precursors by flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) and observed by low-temperature infrared spectroscopy for the first time. The collision activation mass spectra (CAMS) strongly support the assignments. The Meldrum's acid derivative also gives rise to equilibrating imidoylketene and aminopropadienone observable by both IR and CAMS. Ethynamine isomerizes in part to acetonitrile in the gas phase but polymerizes in the solid state between -70 and -50/sup 0/C. Both ketene imine (H/sub 2/C=C=NH) and acrylonitrile are formed on FVP of 3-hydroxypropionitrile. 2-Phenylethynamine (PhC similarly ordered CNH/sub 2/) is readily produced by FVP of the isoxazolone.