Theoretical Study on the Dissociation Mechanism of Thiophene in the UV Photoabsorption, Ionization, and Electron Attachment Processes

ABSTRACT A computational study on the intricate mechanism of thiophene ring‐fragmentation (TRF) in the UV photodissociation, dissociative ionization, and dissociative electron attachment process has been performed. The complete fragmentation process is studied using high level G4 composite method for neutral, cationic, and anionic species by elucidating a detailed mechanism for various reaction channels. The study shows that for neutral thiophene, the major pathway is the migration of H atom and subsequent fragmentation through a transition state yielding acetylene (HC≡CH) and H2C=C=S. However, for the thiophene cation, the acetylene (HC≡CH)+H2C=C=S+ channel is a two‐step and barrier less process. The onset of CH3+HC=C=C=S channel has been observed in both the thiophene cation and anion which was absent in the neutral analogue. Similarly, the onset of H2S+HC≡C—C≡CH channel has been found to operate only in the thiophene cation. Others, such as HCS and HS elimination channels have been found in all the species showing similar dissociation mechanism. For the thiophene anion, the TRF process is very much similar to that of thiophene cation. However, the reaction enthalpies of the various elimination channels in the anionic species are lower as compared to that of cationic species. During the study, the ionization energies and electron affinities of various molecules/radicals produced during the fragmentation process of thiophene were also computed. The mechanism of ring fragmentation process of aromatic hydrocarbons is crucial to understand the intricate chemistry of various species involved in the interstellar medium (ISM) and fate of various ions in the mass spectrometer. The present study involves theoretical study on the mechanism of the degradation pathways of neutral, cationic and anionic species of thiophene using composite G4 method. The results correlate with the fate of thiophene in the photodissociation, ionization, and electron attachment process.