Reactions of methyl fluoride with atomic transition-metal and main-group cations: Gas-phase room-temperature kinetics and periodicities in reactivity

Reactions of CH3F have been surveyed systematically at room temperature with 46 different atomic cations using an inductively coupled plasma/selected-ion flow tube tandem mass spectrometer. Rate coefficients and product distributions were measured for the reactions of fourth-period atomic ions from K+ to Se+, of fifth-period atomic ions from Rb+ to Te+ (excluding Tc+), and of sixth-period atomic ions from Cs+ to Bi+. Primary reaction channels were observed corresponding to F atom transfer, CH3F addition, HF elimination, and H-2 elimination. The early-transition-metal cations exhibit a much more active chemistry than the late-transition-metal cations, and there are periodic features in the chemical activity and reaction efficiency that maximize with Ti+, As+, Y+, Hf+, and Pt+. F atom transfer appears to be thermodynamically controlled, although a periodic variation in efficiency is observed within the early-transition-metal cations which maximizes with Ti+, Y+, and Hf+. Addition of CH3F was observed exclusively (> 99%) with the late-fourth-period cations from Mn+ to Ga+, the fifth-period cations from Ru+ to Te+, and the sixth-period cations from Hg+ to Bi+ as well as Re+. Periodic trends are observed in the effective bimolecular rate coefficient for CH3F addition, and these are consistent with expected trends in the electrostatic binding energies of the adduct ions and measured trends in the standard free energy of addition. HF elimination is the major reaction channel with As+, while dehydrogenation dominates the reactions of W+, Os+, Ir+, and Pt+. Sequential F atom transfer is observed with the early-transition-metal cations, with the number of F atoms transferred increasing across the periodic table from two to four, maximizing at four for the group 5 cations Nb+(d4) and Ta+(d(3)s(1)), and stopping at two with V+(d(4)). Sequential CH3F addition was observed with many atomic cations and all of the metal mono- and multifluoride cations that were formed.