Structural properties of possible interstellar valence anions of the series HCnN- (n = 3, 5, 7, 9)

Abstract

In this contribution we investigate the structural properties of stable anions of small carbon clusters, with one nitrogen and one hydrogen atoms attached to the C-cluster, to surmise their possible existence in the Interstellar Medium (ISM). Many possible configurational (geometrical) isomers with positive vertical electron detachment values are presented, and arranged according to their relative energy. Specific attention is paid to the structures of the lowest-energy valence isomers, the chain-structures of HC7N- and HC9N- anions with quasilinear and linear geometry, respectively. They exhibit relatively large permanent dipole moments (2.697 and 5.034 Debye) and adiabatic electron affinities (AEAs) of 1.13 and 1.35 eV. Isomers of the HNCn- family and many branched structures are possible stable species viable for detection in the ISM.