Transferred State. These first four states represent those in which the nitrogen molecule remained unbonded to PD atoms in their final configuration. In addition to these, there was a fifth group, created as a catchall for all final configurations which resulted in the transfer of protons to the nitrogen, or within which some form of PD decomposition occurred (Fig. ). As the focus of this study is primarily on the PD effect on the N 2 -lithium interaction in its unprotonated states, these decomposed and altered states, collectively referred to as the transferred states, are not included in the rest of this analysis.