Potential energy surfaces for the formation of covalently bound HCN dimers from two molecules of HCN or HNC were determined from CBS-QB3/APNO calculations. Several novel pathways, with and without the aid of protons, were found for the formation of iminoacetonitrile (HN=CHCN), an intermediate in adenine synthesis from HCN by oligomerization. Covalent C-C or C-N bonds between the two monomers were formed after rearrangement of bimolecular complex intermediates. Energetic and kinetic analyses suggest that the proton-catalyzed dimerizations substantially lower reaction barriers but cannot occur efficiently under interstellar conditions. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.