Renner–Teller coupled-channel dynamics of the N(D2)+H2 reaction and the role of the NH2 Ã A21 electronic state

Abstract

We present Renner-Teller (RT) and Born-Oppenheimer (BO) coupled-channel (CC) dynamics of the reaction (14)N((2)D)+(1)H(2)(X (1)Sigma(g) (+))-->NH(X (3)Sigma(-))+H((2)S), considering both NH(2) coupled electronic states, X (2)B(1) and A (2)A(1), and Coriolis interactions. We use the best available potential energy surfaces (PESs), and we obtain initial-state-resolved reaction probabilities, cross sections, and rate constants through the real wavepacket and flux methods, taking into account the nuclear-spin statistics for both electronic states. Contrasting RT-CC with more approximate results, we point out the role of RT and Coriolis couplings, and discuss the importance of the A (2)A(1) excited state on the initial-state-resolved dynamics and on the thermal kinetic rate. Confirming the previous results, RT couplings transfer partly the reactivity from X (2)B(1) to A (2)A(1), and CC calculations are necessary to obtain accurate high-energy cross sections. When H(2) is initially rotating, RT couplings enhance strongly the electronic-state-resolved A (2)A(1) reactivity. Considering the nuclear-spin statistics for both electronic states, we find out that the A (2)A(1) state plays a significant role in the rotationally resolved dynamics of N((2)D)+ortho-H(2). However, the BO-X (2)B(1) approximation gives a thermal rate that is slightly smaller than the one obtained by the RT-CC calculations. This implies that this usual approximation is acceptable to calculate unresolved kinetic data of the title reaction. Our calculated rate constant values within the 213-300 K temperature interval are in excellent agreement with the experimental ones.