Activation, Dehydrogenation, and Carbon–Carbon Coupling of Methane by Iridium Cations Studied by Infrared Multiple Photon Dissociation Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory

Products resulting from the sequential activation of one, two, three, and four methane molecules by atomic iridium cations were characterized by gas-phase infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Iridium cations were generated using a laser ablation source and reacted with methane in a linear radiofrequency ion trap before mass analysis and spectroscopic interrogation in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer coupled to the free-electron laser for intracavity experiments (FELICE) beamline. Product ions were irradiated using infrared light over the 250-1500 cm^-1 range. Comparisons between the experimental and DFT-calculated spectra enabled structural determination of the products formed. The observed products include HIrCH⁺, Ir(CH₂)₂⁺, H_sIr(C₃H₅)⁺, and Ir(CH₃)_s(C₃H₅)⁺, where the subscript s denotes a syn orientation of the two ligands. Formation of the latter two products provides evidence for efficient C-H bond activation and subsequent C-C coupling on the atomic iridium cation.