Generation and Reactivity of the Phenyl Cation in Cryogenic Argon Matrices:  Monitoring the Reactions with Nitrogen and Carbon Monoxide Directly by IR Spectroscopy

The phenyl cation 1 has been prepared by co-deposition of iodobenzene 6 or bromobenzene 7 with a microwave-induced argon plasma and characterized by IR spectroscopy in cryogenic argon matrices. The cation can clearly be identified by its strongest absorption at 3110 cm(-1) that is rapidly bleached upon visible light irradiation. This characteristic band is observed neither in the conventional photochemistry of 6 or 7 nor in discharge experiments with alkyl halides or chlorobenzene. The latter finding is in line with energetic considerations. According to density functional theory (DFT) computations, the strongest absorption of 1 is caused by a C-H stretching vibration that involves almost entirely the ortho-hydrogens. This is confirmed by isotopic labeling experiments. Co-deposition of halobenzene/N2 mixtures leads to a decrease of the 3110 cm(-1) absorption, whereas several new signals are detected in the 2200-2400 cm(-1) range of the IR spectrum. Annealing of a matrix that contains 1 and 1% N2 leads to an increase of a broad band at 2260 cm(-1) that is assigned to the benzenediazonium ion 2. A sharp signal at 2327 cm(-1) that had previously been assigned to the N-N stretching vibration of 2 is due to molecular nitrogen. The mechanism that triggers the IR activity of N2 is not yet understood. Annealing of a matrix that contains 1 and 0.5% CO leads to an increase of a broad band at 2217 cm(-1) that is considerably stronger than the 2260 cm(-1) absorption of 2. This signal is assigned to the C-O stretching vibration of the benzoyl cation 12, in excellent agreement with previous investigations of 12 in superacidic media. Some consequences of the measured frequencies with regard to bonding in 2 and 12 are discussed.