THEORETICAL-STUDY OF STATIONARY STRUCTURES OF ACETAMIDINE UNIMOLECULAR DECOMPOSITION

The unimolecular decomposition of acetamidine to ammonia and acetonitrile was examined by ab initio methods. Stationary points, i.e. the reactant, product and transition structures, have been characterized. The process has an asynchronous mechanism, the transition state being described as a four-membered ring. To establish the relevance of different basis sets, calculations with eight standard Gaussian basis sets, STO-3G, 3-21G, 4-21G, 4-31G, 6-31G, 6-311G, 6-31G*, and G-31G**, were carried out. © 1990.