Study of the Thermal Decomposition of 2-Azidoacetic Acid by Photoelectron and Matrix Isolation Infrared Spectroscopy

2-Azidoacetic acid (N 3 CH 2 CO 2 H) has been synthesized and characterized by a variety of spectroscopic techniques, and the thermal decomposition of this molecule studied by matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy and real-time ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The results are consistent with the vapor phase thermal decomposition following a pathway involving concerted ejection of molecular N 2 and the simultaneous formation of CO 2 and methanimine (CH 2 NH). No evidence was found for the presence of intermediates such as the nitrene NCH 2 CO 2 H or the imine HNCHCO 2 H. At higher temperatures, CH 2 NH further decomposes to give HCN and H 2 .