Anionic polymerization of an acrylonitrile trimer studied by photoelectronspectroscopy

A photoelectron spectrum of an acrylonitrile (A-NL:CH2=CHCN) trimer anion, (AN)(3)(-), produced by electron impact on an acrylonitrile cluster was mea sured, and was compared with that of a molecular anion of 1,3,5-cyclohexane tricarbonitrile (c-HTCN) in the triequatorial form, which was first synthes ized in the present experiment. A comparison of the vertical detachment ene rgies of (AN)(3)(-) and the molecular anion lead us to conclude that (AN)(3 )(-) is assigned as one of the stereoisomers (diaxial form) of c-HTCN (-) o n the basis of our previous studies refs 13, 14, and 20-22 [Tsukuda, T.; Ko ndow, T. J. Chem. Phys. 1991, 95, 6989. Tsukuda, T.; Kondow, T. J. Am. Chem . Soc. 1994, 116, 9555. Ichihashi, M.; Tsukuda, T.; Nonose, S.; Kondow, T. J. Phys. Chem. 1995, 99, 17354. Fukuda, Y.; Tsukuda, T.; Terasaki, A.; Kond ow, T. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1995, 242, 121. Fukuda, Y.; Tsukuda, T.; Terasaki A.; Kondow, T. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1996, 260, 423.].