Doubly charged benzene and isomeric dications. Fragmentation energetics and charge distributions calculated by MINDO/3 molecular orbital theory

MINDO/3 calculations for singlet and triplet doubly charged benzene [C6H6]2+ are in satisfactory agreement with the experimentally determined values of the vertical double ionization energy of benzene; calculations for straight chain isomeric structures are consistent with the observed kinetic energy release on fragmentation to [C5H3]+ and [CH3]+. Symmetrical doubly charged benzene ions relax to a less symmetrical cyclic structure having sufficient internal energy to fragment by ring opening and hydrogen transfer towards the ends of the carbon chain. Fragmentation of [CH3C4CH3]2+ to [CH3C4]+ and [CH3]+ is a relatively high energy process (A), whereas both (B): [CH3CHC3CH2]2+ to [CHC3CH2]+ and [CH3]+ and (C): [CH3CHCCHCCH]2+ to [CHCCHCCH]+ and [CH3]+ may be exothermic processes from doubly charged benzene. Furthermore, the calculated energy for the reverse of process (A) is less than the experimentally observed kinetic energy released, whereas larger energies for the reverse of processes B and C are predicted. Heats of formation of homologous series [HCn]+, [CH3Cn]+, [CH2Cn−2CH]+, [CH3Cn−2CH2]+ and [CH2CHCn−3CH2]+ with 1 < n < 6 are calculated to aid prediction of the most stable products of fragmentation of doubly charged cations. The homologous series [CH2Cn−2CH]+ is relatively stable and may account for ready fragmentation of doubly charged ions to [CnH3]+; alternatively the symmetrical [C5H3]+ ion [CHCCHCCH]+ may be formed. Dicoordinate carbon chains appear to be important stabilizing features for both cations and dications.