Minimum Energy Reaction Pathway Research Articles

On the fate of protonated chloroformates in the gas phase: a competition between forming HCl and chloroformic acid.

Chloroformates are prevalent in the atmosphere due to their utilization as fuel additives and industrial solvents. These species may undergo interactions with atmospheric water resulting in protonated chloroformates. This study delves into the gas-phase dissociation of these protonated species. Tandem mass spectrometry was employed to scrutinize the unimolecular dissociation of protonated methyl (1), ethyl (2), neopentyl (3), and phenyl chloroformate (4). Notably, 1 and 4 exhibited HCl loss, yielding CH3OCO+ and C6H5OCO+, respectively, with 1 additionally generating neutral methanol and ClCO+. 4 additionally loses CO and CO2. In contrast, 2 and 3 each only exhibit a single fragmentation channel, with 2 losing C2H4 to generate protonated chloroformic acid and 3 generating protonated 2-methylbutene by losing neutral chloroformic acid. Density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory was employed to explore minimum energy reaction pathways for each ion, and CBS-QB3 single-point energy calculations were added to provide reliable energetics. The Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) calculations of the rate constants for selected competing processes were carried out to link theory and experiment. One common unimolecular process observed was the 1,3-H shift of the proton from the carbonyl oxygen to the ester oxygen before dissociation.

What a difference a chlorine makes: The remarkable unimolecular ion chemistry of phenyl formate and phenyl chloroformate.

Imaging photoelectron photoion coincidence (iPEPICO) spectroscopy and tandem mass spectrometry were employed to explore the ionisation and dissociative ionisation of phenyl formate (PF) and phenyl chloroformate (PCF). The threshold photoelectron spectra of both compounds are featureless and lack a definitive origin transition, owing to the internal rotation of the formate functional group relative to the benzene ring, active upon ionisation. CBS-QB3 calculations yield ionisation energies of 8.88 and 9.03 eV for PF and PCF, respectively. Ionised PF dissociates by the loss of CO via a transition state composed of a phenoxy cation and HCO moieties. The dissociation of PCF ions involves the competing losses of CO (m/z 128/130), Cl (m/z 121) and CO2 (m/z 112/114), with Cl loss also shown to occur from the second excited state in a non-statistical process. The primary CO- and Cl-loss fragment ions undergo sequential reactions leading to fragment ions at m/z 98 and 77. The mass-analysed ion kinetic energy (MIKE) spectrum of PCF+ showed that the loss of CO2 occurs with a large reverse energy barrier, which is consistent with the computationally derived minimum energy reaction pathway.

(Invited) Atomistic Insights into Continuous and Area-Selective ALD Processes: First-Principles Simulations of the Underpinning Surface Chemistry

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a highly advanced thin film deposition technology that has found widespread use in nanoelectronics, photovoltaics, fuel cell and recently all-solid-state battery applications. It is widely regarded as the state-of-the-art technique for producing thin films due to its exceptional conformality on high-aspect ratio structures, atomic level thickness control, and tuneable film composition. In recent years, area-selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) has emerged as a promising technology for high-fidelity nano-patterning, and significant progress has been made in understanding and developing highly selective processes for various material systems. Along these lines, we have recently shown that high-throughput, low defectivity, highly selective SiO2 deposition can be achieved on various substrates by combining atmospheric-pressure spatial ALD with integrated area-deactivation using small molecule inhibitors and plasma-enhanced spatial etching [1].ALD is a surface-controlled technique that relies on the self-limiting reactions of the precursors and co-reactants with the deposition surface in alternating cycles. The initial step in ALD nucleation on the target substrate is a key factor in the deposited film quality, and efficient precursor binding on the surface is critical. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and minimum-energy reaction pathway analysis based on ab initio Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations provide invaluable insights into the surface chemistry, enabling customisation of ALD processes to boost uniformity, conformality, and area-selectivity of the resulting films.In this talk, I will discuss how first-principles simulations can be used synergistically with experimental findings to achieve high-efficiency plasma-enhanced atomic-layer cleaning (ALC) of impurities from various ALD films and substrates, design proper chemical surface modifications that enable continuous and conformal ALD nucleation even on chemically-inert surfaces (like graphene), and unveil the particular surface chemistry governing high-fidelity area-selectivity with an atomic-level precision in ultrathin coatings [1-9]. By combining the insights gained from first-principles simulations with experimental techniques, we can push the frontiers of device manufacturing to new heights, opening up exciting possibilities for further technological advances in nanoelectronics, photovoltaics, fuel cell and energy storage applications.[1] Advanced Materials, Just Accepted, (DOI: 10.1002/adma.202301204); [2]Nanoscale, 2021, 13, 10092-10099; [3] Chem. Mater. 2019, 31 (4), 1250-1257.; [4] Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2018, 5 (13), 1800268.; [5] Chem. Mater. 2017, 29 (3), 921–925.; [6] ACS Nano 2017, 11 (9), 9303–9311.; [7] Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 2017, 163, 43–50.; [8] Chem. Mater. 2017, 29 (5), 2090–2100.; [9] Nanoscale 2016, 8 (47), 19829–19845. Figure 1

Theoretical Studies on the Isomerization Kinetics of Low-Lying Isomers of the SiC4H2 System.

The low-lying isomers of SiC4H2 are investigated to understand the kinetics of isomerization pathways using density functional theory. In our earlier work, we studied the various possible isomers (J. Phys. Chem. A, 2020, 124, 987-1002) and the chemical bonding of low-lying isomers of SiC4H2 (J. Phys. Chem. A, 2022, 126, 9366-9374). Among them, four isomers, 1-ethynyl-3-silacycloprop-1-en-3-ylidene (1), 3-silapent-1,4-diyn-3-ylidene (2), 1-silapent-1,2,3,4-tetraen-1-ylidene (4), and 1-silapent-2,4-diyn-1-ylidene (5) have already been identified in the laboratory. The previously known theoretical isomer 2-methylene-1-silabicyclo[1.1.0]but-1(3)-en-4-ylidene (3) and the newly identified unknown isomer through the present kinetic studies 5-silabicyclo[2.1.0]pent-1(4),2-dien-5-ylidene (N6) remain elusive in the laboratory to date. The isomerization pathways of the low-lying isomers of SiC4H2 are predicted through the transition state structures. Intrinsic reaction coordinate analysis identifies the minimum energy reaction pathways connecting the transition state from one isomer to another of the investigated system. The present kinetic data reveal the isomerization of global minimum energy isomer 1 to thermodynamically stable low-lying isomers, 2 and 5. Interestingly, isomer 3 interconverts to the experimentally known low-energy isomer 4, the second most thermodynamically stable isomer among them. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the low-lying isomers of SiC4H2 are also documented in this work. The rate coefficient and equilibrium constant for isomerization reactions are calculated using the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory. The equilibrium constant delineates the difficulties in forming N6 and 3 through the isomerization pathways. Furthermore, ab initio molecular dynamics studies dictate the stability of low-lying isomers of SiC4H2 within the time scale of the simulation.

Computational Exploration of Minimum Energy Reaction Pathway of N2O Formation from Intermediate I of P450nor Using an Active Center Model.

P450nor is a heme-containing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrous oxide (N2O). Its catalytic mechanism has attracted attention in chemistry, biology, and environmental engineering. The catalytic cycle of P450nor is proposed to consist of three major steps. The reaction mechanism for the last step, N2O generation, remains unknown. In this study, the reaction pathway of the N2O generation from the intermediate I was explored with the B3LYP calculations using an active center model after the examination of the validity of the model. In the validation, we compared the heme distortions between P450nor and other oxidoreductases, suggesting a small effect of protein environment on the N2O generation reaction in P450nor. We then evaluated the electrostatic environment effect of P450nor on the hydride affinity to the active site with quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations, confirming that the affinity was unchanged with or without the protein environment. The active center model for P450nor showed that the N2O generation process in the enzymatic reaction undergoes a reasonable barrier height without protein environment. Consequently, our findings strongly suggest that the N2O generation reaction from the intermediate I depends sorely on the intrinsic reactivity of the heme cofactor bound on cysteine residue.

Unraveling the Unimolecular Ion Chemistry of Protonated Isoprene and Prenol.

The atmospheric chemistries of isoprene and prenol have been studied extensively; however, much of that research has focused on neutral or radical chemistry. Recent studies have demonstrated that under acidic conditions, isoprene and prenol can become protonated in the atmosphere, and we have explored the unimolecular chemistry of protonated isoprene and prenol with tandem mass spectrometry (using a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer) and density functional theory. The collision-induced dissociation of protonated isoprene revealed two product ion channels: the neutral losses of C2H4 and H2, the former dominating over the latter. Protonated prenol dissociates by four product ion channels: the neutral losses of water, formaldehyde, methanol, and propene, with the former two being minor channels and the latter two being major channels. Density functional theory supplemented with CBS-QB3 single-point calculations revealed the underlying mechanisms to explain the breakdown behavior. The two competing channels from protonated isoprene could easily be rationalized due to the relative energy difference between key transition states along the reaction coordinates. However, in the case of protonated prenol, it was revealed that the minor products observed in the breakdown of protonated prenol had significantly lower reaction barriers when compared to the major products, an apparent contradiction. This could be rationalized if the initial ion population entering the collision cell is comproed of several isomeric species on the minimum energy reaction pathway, species populated by collisional excitation in the ion source region.

Does the dissociation of guaiacol family radical cations mimic their thermal decomposition?

Guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) and its derivatives are naturally occurring phenolic compounds which originate primarily from wood lignin. Guaiacol pyrolysis has been extensively studied where degradation products have been identified and reaction schemes have been proposed illustrating their formation. The aim of the present work is to study the dissociation of the radical cations of guaiacol and its derivatives and explore whether there is any similarity with the thermal degradation of the neutral compounds. Tandem mass spectrometry was employed to explore the unimolecular dissociation of the radical cations of guaiacol (1), creosol (2), 4-ethylguaiacol (3), 4-vinylguaiacol (4), eugenol (5) and vanillin (6). Calculations were performed at the CBS-QB3(sp)// B3LYP/6–311 + G(d,p) level of theory and minimum energy reaction pathways are presented. All the radical cations, with the exception of vanillin, exhibit the loss of a methyl radical (CH3•) with the favored CH3• loss pathway being via bond cleavage from the methoxy group for 1, 2 and 4. Methanol (CH3OH) loss is also observed in 2, 3 with the relative intensities of the methanol-loss fragment ions in 2 and 3 being lower than that for CH3• loss. Conversely, vanillin only displayed CO loss. Altogether, the radical cation chemistry for guaiacol agrees well with previous studies on its neutral thermal decomposition, which suggests that the dissociation of the radical cations of the derivatives may also be analogous to their neutral thermal degradation.

Deciphering the Primary Role of Au⋅⋅⋅H-X Hydrogen Bonding in Gold Catalysis.

Au⋅⋅⋅H-X (X=N or C) hydrogen bonding is gaining increasing interest, both in the study of its intrinsic nature and in their operability in different fields. While the role of these interactions has been studied in the stabilization of gold(I) complexes, their role during the minimum free energy reaction pathway of a given catalytic process remains unexplored. We report herein that complex [Au(C≡CPh)(pip)] (pip=piperidine) catalyses the A3 -coupling reaction for the synthesis of propargylamines, thanks to the ability of Au(I) to promote weak hydrogen bonding interactions with the reactants along the free energy profile. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations show that these Au⋅⋅⋅H-X interactions play a directing role in the catalysed A3 -coupling. Topological non-covalent interactions (NCI), interaction region indicator (IRI) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis in real space of the electron density provide a description of these interactions accurately.

Deciphering the Primary Role of Au⋅⋅⋅H−X Hydrogen Bonding in Gold Catalysis

AbstractAu⋅⋅⋅H−X (X=N or C) hydrogen bonding is gaining increasing interest, both in the study of its intrinsic nature and in their operability in different fields. While the role of these interactions has been studied in the stabilization of gold(I) complexes, their role during the minimum free energy reaction pathway of a given catalytic process remains unexplored. We report herein that complex [Au(C≡CPh)(pip)] (pip=piperidine) catalyses the A3‐coupling reaction for the synthesis of propargylamines, thanks to the ability of Au(I) to promote weak hydrogen bonding interactions with the reactants along the free energy profile. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations show that these Au⋅⋅⋅H−X interactions play a directing role in the catalysed A3‐coupling. Topological non‐covalent interactions (NCI), interaction region indicator (IRI) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis in real space of the electron density provide a description of these interactions accurately.

Toward Quantum Chemical Free Energy Simulations of Platinum Nanoparticles on Titania Support.

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt-NPs) supported on titania surfaces are costly but indispensable heterogeneous catalysts because of their highly effective and selective catalytic properties. Therefore, it is vital to understand their physicochemical processes during catalysis to optimize their use and to further develop better catalysts. However, simulating these dynamic processes is challenging due to the need for a reliable quantum chemical method to describe chemical bond breaking and bond formation during the processes but, at the same time, fast enough to sample a large number of configurations required to compute the corresponding free energy surfaces. Density functional theory (DFT) is often used to explore Pt-NPs; nonetheless, it is usually limited to some minimum-energy reaction pathways on static potential energy surfaces because of its high computational cost. We report here a combination of the density functional tight binding (DFTB) method as a fast but reliable approximation to DFT, the steered molecular dynamics (SMD) technique, and the Jarzynski equality to construct free energy surfaces of the temperature-dependent diffusion and growth of platinum particles on a titania surface. In particular, we present the parametrization for Pt-X (X = Pt, Ti, or O) interactions in the framework of the second-order DFTB method, using a previous parametrization for titania as a basis. The optimized parameter set was used to simulate the surface diffusion of a single platinum atom (Pt1) and the growth of Pt6 from Pt5 and Pt1 on the rutile (110) surface at three different temperatures (T = 400, 600, 800 K). The free energy profile was constructed by using over a hundred SMD trajectories for each process. We found that increasing the temperature has a minimal effect on the formation free energy; nevertheless, it significantly reduces the free energy barrier of Pt atom migration on the TiO2 surface and the transition state (TS) of its deposition. In a concluding remark, the methodology opens the pathway to quantum chemical free energy simulations of Pt-NPs' temperature-dependent growth and other transformation processes on the titania support.

The Fate of Protonated Guaiacol and Its Derivatives in the Gas Phase.

Guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol) and its derivatives are a class of semivolatile polar organic molecules possessing low molecular weights. Owing to their volatility, guaiacol and its derivatives can interact with atmospheric water and form protonated methoxyphenols through proton transfer. The aim of the present work is to study the dissociation of these protonated ions and hence, potentially, their atmospheric fate. Tandem mass spectrometry was employed to analyze the unimolecular dissociation of the protonated forms of guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol, 1), creosol (2-methoxy-4-methylphenol, 2), 4-ethylguaiacol (4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, 3), 4-vinylguaiacol (2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 4), eugenol (2-methoxy-4-prop-2-enylphenol, 5), and vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, 6). Density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) (1-5) and B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) (6) levels of theory were applied to determine the observed minimum energy reaction pathways, and reliable energetics were acquired using CBS-QB3 single-point energy calculations. All the protonated ions, with the exception of 6, exhibit the loss of CH3OH via a series of hydrogen transfers, followed by ring contraction to lose CO. This common dissociation pathway leads to the formation of a cyclopentadienyl ion as the main dissociation product. Conversely, 6 first exhibits the loss of CO, followed by sequential losses of CH3OH and CO to generate a cyclopentadienyl ion. Additionally, minor fragmentation channels are also observed for the different protonated ions: CH2 loss in 1; CH4 and H2O losses in 3; CH3 loss in 4, 5, and 6; C2H4 and CH2CHCH2 losses in 5; H loss in 6. Altogether, the protonated ions primarily lose CH3OH and CO as neutral molecules and generate a cyclopentadienyl ion as a dissociation product.

Computational mechanistic studies of ruthenium catalysed methanol dehydrogenation.

Homogeneous ruthenium catalysed methanol dehydrogenation could become a key reaction for hydrogen production in liquid fuel cells. In order to improve existing catalytic systems, mechanistic insight is paramount in directing future studies. Herein, we describe what computational mechanistic research has taught us so far about ruthenium catalysed dehydrogenation reactions. In general, two mechanistic pathways can be operative in these reactions: a metal-centered or a metal–ligand cooperative (Noyori–Morris type) minimum energy reaction pathway (MERP). Discerning between these mechanisms on the basis of computational studies has proven to be highly input dependent, and to circumvent pitfalls it is important to consider several factors, such as solvent effects, metal–ligand cooperativity, alternative geometries, and complex electronic structures of metal centres. This Frontiers article summarizes the reported computational research performed on ruthenium catalyzed dehydrogenation reactions performed in the past decade, and serves as a guide for future research.

Fate of Protonated Formates in the Gas Phase.

Formates are a class of organic molecules emitted into the atmosphere from fuel additives and industrial solvents. Formate-derived esters can undergo a vast range of chemical reactions in the atmosphere, most of which are initiated by oxidation by hydroxyl radicals. One potential reaction upon their interaction with atmospheric water is proton transfer to form protonated formates. The goal of the present work is to explore the dissociation of these protonated species and thus their possible atmospheric fate. Tandem mass spectrometry was employed to study the unimolecular dissociation of the protonated forms of methyl- (1), ethyl- (2), isopropyl- (3), tert-butyl- (4), and phenylformate (5). 1 and 2 lose CO as a common fragmentation product, forming a protonated alcohol, and 2 also generates neutral ethanol (forming protonated CO). 3 and 4 readily lose the stable isopropyl and tert-butyl radicals as well as neutral alkenes propene and isobutene. Methanol loss is also observed from both ions. 5 exhibits both phenyl radical loss (similar to 3 and 4) and CO loss (like 1 and 2). Density functional theory was used to explore the observed minimum energy reaction pathways for each ion, and CBS-QB3 single-point energy calculations provided reliable energetics.

Unveiling alloying effects on the catalytic activities of Cu3Pt and Cu3Pd for nonoxidative dehydrogenation and esterification of ethanol

To investigate the alloying effects of the Cu catalyst, we performed extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the reaction mechanisms of ethanol dimerization to form ethyl acetate (EA) on Cu(111) and CuM(111) with M = Pt or Pd. Specifically, thirty-three reactions along the minimum energy reaction pathways were studied by calculating the energy barrier and reaction energy. To evaluate catalytic performance and determine the rate-determining step (RDS), we calculated reaction rate constants based on the harmonic transition state theory. The DFT results showed that the most widely recognized Colley mechanism for ethanol dimerization to form EA should be revised by including CH3CHO hydrogenation to form CH3CH2O. While the first dehydrogenation was found to be the RDS on Cu(111) and Cu3Pt(111), CH3CHO hydrogenation was identified to be the RDS on Cu3Pd(111). Furthermore, Cu3Pt(111) is about 3 orders of magnitude faster than Cu(111) and Cu3Pd(111) for ethanol nonoxidative dehydrogenation and esterification. This work also provides a benchmark for further examination of ethanol dimerization over other Cu alloys.

Building a Microkinetic Model from First Principles for Higher Amine Synthesis on Pd Catalyst

The hydrogenation of nitriles utilizing heterogeneous catalysis is a significant commercial process for the synthesis of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines. Periodic plane-wave density functional theory (DFT) is used to examine the hydrogenation of acetonitrile to primary, secondary, and tertiary amines on palladium catalysts. The quantified minimum energy reaction pathways, including activation barriers, for acetonitrile reaction to higher amines are discussed. The construction of a microkinetic model from first-principles for higher amine synthesis is presented. In addition, the microkinetic model simulations are discussed and compared to palladium-based catalyst experimental results for higher amine synthesis. For the first time, this novel and robust reactor model provides detailed insights into surface species coverage, as a function of process conditions (e.g., feedstock ratio, catalyst type, temperature, and pressure). More broadly, process engineers can leverage this valuable information to g...

The effect of Pd ensemble structure on the O2 dissociation and CO oxidation mechanisms on Au-Pd(100) surface alloys.

The reactivity of various Pd ensembles on the Au-Pd(100) alloy catalyst toward CO oxidation was investigated by using density functional theory (DFT). This study was prompted by the search for efficient catalysts operating at low temperature for the CO oxidation reaction that is of primary environmental importance. To this aim, we considered Pd modified Au(100) surfaces including Pd monomers, Pd dimers, second neighboring Pd atoms, and Pd chains in a comparative study of the minimum energy reaction pathways. The effect of dispersion interactions was included in the calculations of the O2 dissociation reaction pathway by using the DFT-D3 scheme. The addition of the dispersion interaction strongly improves the adsorption ability of O2 on the Au-Pd surface but does not affect the activation energy barriers of the Transitions States (TSs). As for O2 to dissociate, it is imperative that the TS has lower activation energy than the O2 desorption energy. DFT-D3 is found to favor, in some cases, O2 dissociation on configurations being identified from uncorrected DFT calculations as inactive. This is the case of the second neighboring Pd configuration for which uncorrected DFT predicts positive Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of the O2 adsorption, therefore an endergonic reaction. With the addition of D3 correction, ΔG becomes negative that reveals a spontaneous O2 adsorption. Among the investigated Au-Pd (100) ensembles, the Pd chain dissociates most easily O2 and highly stabilizes the dissociated O atoms; however, it has an inferior reactivity toward CO oxidation and CO2 formation. Indeed, CO strongly adsorbs on the palladium bridge sites and therefore poisoning the surface Pd chain. By contrast, the second neighboring Pd configuration that shows somewhat lower ability to dissociate O2 turns out to be more reactive in the CO2 formation step. These results evidence the complex effect of Pd ensembles on the CO oxidation reaction. Associative CO oxidation proceeds with high energy barriers on all the considered Pd ensembles and should be excluded, in agreement with experimental observations.

Real-Time Observation of Nonadiabatic Bifurcation Dynamics at a Conical Intersection.

Looking into temporal dynamics of the reactive flux that is precisely located at the well-characterized conical intersection has been one of chemists' longstanding goals. We report here real-time nonadiabatic bifurcation dynamics in the S-CH3 bond predissociation of thioanisole (C6H5SCH3) in the first electronically excited state (S1). It is found that two distinct adiabatic and nonadiabatic reaction pathways are activated simultaneously only when the vibronic state near the first conical intersection is optically accessed. Our time-resolved measurement of the product state distribution could separate two different dynamic channels unambiguously, unraveling the detailed dynamic mechanism of the nonadiabatic reaction taking place in the vicinity of the conical intersection. The nonadiabatic channel, where the reactive flux funnels through two consecutive conical intersections along the reaction coordinate, is found to be significantly faster than the adiabatic channel along the minimum energy reaction pathway. The kinetic energy release ratio and the nonadiabatic transition probability are found to be much higher for the nonadiabatic channel than those of the adiabatic channel, giving insights into the bifurcation dynamics occurring at the conical intersection.

Metadynamics-Biased ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study of Heterogeneous CO2 Reduction via Surface Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The recent discovery of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) capable of heterolytically splitting hydrogen gas at the surface of hydroxylated indium oxide (In2O3–x(OH)y) nanoparticles has led to interesting implications for heterogeneous catalytic reduction of CO2. Although the role of surface FLPs in the reverse water-gas shift (RWGS) reaction (CO2 + H2 → CO + H2O) has been experimentally and theoretically demonstrated, the interplay between surface FLPs and temperature and their consequences for the reaction mechanism have yet to be understood. Here we use well-tempered metadynamics-biased ab initio molecular dynamics to obtain the free energy landscape of the multistep RWGS reaction at finite temperatures. The reaction is simulated at 20 and 180 °C, and the minimum energy reaction pathways and energy barriers corresponding to H2 dissociation and CO2 reduction are obtained. The reduction of CO2 at the surface FLP catalytically active site, where H2 is heterolytically dissociated and bound, is found to be the r...

Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Effectiveness and Stability of Gold(I) Catalysts Used in the Synthesis of Cyclic Acetals

Different [AuL]+ fragments (L = tertiary phosphines, ylides, or NHC carbene) have been tested under mild conditions as suitable catalysts for the transformation of terminal or internal alkynes into the corresponding cyclic acetals upon reaction with ethylene glycol. We have obtained a moderate to negligible activity when using tertiary phosphines or nonstabilized ylides as ligands. However, a very high catalytic activity is reached when the IPr N-heterocyclic carbene ligand is used. We have analyzed the key stages in this type of gold-catalyzed reaction, namely, (i) electronic activation (alkynophilicity); (ii) protodeauration; and (iii) decomposition of the gold catalyst. The first two stages have been analyzed through DFT computation of the minimum-energy reaction pathways employing different catalysts. An explanation of the catalysts’ stability has been proposed through the analysis of in situ time-resolved nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the catalysts.

Theoretical investigation of the mechanism of tritiated methane dehydrogenation reaction using nickel-based catalysts

The mechanism of tritiated methane dehydrogenation reaction catalyzed by nickel-based catalyst was investigated in detail by density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/[6-311++G(d, p), SDD] level. The computational results indicated that the dehydrogenation of tritiated methane is endothermic. The decomposition of tritiated methane catalyzed by Ni to form Ni-based carbon (Ni–C) after a four-step dehydrogenation companied with releasing tritium. After the first and second dehydrogenation steps, Ni+CT4 formed NiCT2. After the third and fourth dehydrogenation steps, NiCT2 formed NiC. The first and second steps of dehydrogenation occurred on both the singlet and triplet states, and the lowest energy route is Ni+CT4→1COM→1TS1→3IM1→3TS2→3IM2. The third and fourth steps of dehydrogenation occurred on both the singlet and quintet states, and the minimum energy reaction pathway appeared to be IM3→1TS4→5IM4→5TS5→5IM5→5pro+T2. The fourth step of dehydrogenation TNiCT→T2NiC was the rate-determining step of the entire reaction with the rate constant of k2=2.8×1013exp(−313,136/RT) (in cm3mol−1s−1), and its activation energy barrier was calculated to be 51.8kcal/mol. The Ni-catalyzed CH4 and CD4 cracking dehydrogenation processes are also investigated and the hydrogen isotope effect is evaluated. The hydrogen isotope effect value of kH/kT is computed to be 2.94, and the value of kD/kT is computed to be 1.39. The catalytic dehydrogenation reactions of methane and deuterated methane are likely to occur, accompanied by the tritiated methane catalytic cracking reaction in the fusion process.