Electron Impact Catalytic Dissociation: Two-Bond Breaking by a Low-Energy Catalytic Electron

Upon impact of a low‐energy electron on a neutral molecule, an intermediate metastable electron–molecule compound is formed. This species can undergo electron‐catalyzed two‐bond breaking or cycloelimination, as in the simplest case of the cyclobutane–ethylene conversion (see scheme). This mechanism is illustrated for the quadricyclanone–norbornadienone cycloelimination reaction using ab initio methods, and its generality appears promising.