Neutral Potential Energy Surface Research Articles

Computational study of the post-transition state dynamics for the OH + CH3OH reaction probed by photodetachment of the CH3O-(H2O) anion.

Dissociative photodetachment dynamics simulations were conducted to study the CH3O-(H2O) → CH3O + H2O + e- reaction using classical molecular dynamics (MD) and ring-polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) techniques on two newly formulated neutral potential energy surfaces (PES1 and PES2) by different research groups. While the dissociation dynamics exhibited similarities between classical MD and RPMD, there were noticeable differences in the fluctuation of probability densities for the internal modes due to nuclear quantum effects. Upon comparison of our findings with experimental data concerning the electron binding energy distribution and photofragment relative energy, it suggests that the potential energy landscapes of PES2 are reasonably precise. The time evolution of occupied vibrational states of the H2O photofragment is presented in this study.

Isomerization of hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen isocyanide in a cluster environment: quantum chemical study

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and its isomer hydrogen isocyanide (HNC) are omnipresent in the interstellar medium (ISM). The ratio between the two isomers serves as an indicator of the physical conditions in different areas of the ISM. As such, the isomerization process between the two isomers has been extensively studied on the neutral potential energy surface. Moreover, HCN and HNC are thought to be precursors of important organic molecules, such as adenine. Here, we use quantum chemistry calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to focus on the chemistry that occurs upon ionization of pure HNC clusters. We demonstrate that upon ionization of HNC clusters, a distonic ion CN⋯HCNH+ is formed, and this formation is accompanied by HNC-to-HCN isomerization. Moreover, we show that the cluster environment and the network of hydrogen bonds are crucial for the isomerization process to occur and for the stabilization of the clusters. We demonstrate that, in contrast to HNC clusters, isomerization of ionized HCN clusters can occur only for the larger clusters. In addition, we discuss the formation of aminonitrile cation in the clusters and propose a barrierless route for diaminonitrile, a known precursor of amino acids and nucleobases, to form.

Probing the Exit Channel of the OH + CH3OH → H2O + CH3O Reaction by Photodetachment of CH3O-(H2O).

Transition state dynamics of bimolecular reactions can be probed by photodetachment of a precursor anion when the Franck-Condon region of the corresponding neutral potential energy surface is near a saddle point. In this study, photodetachment of anions at m/z = 49 enabled investigation of the exit channel of the OH + CH3OH → H2O + CH3O reaction using photoelectron-photofragment coincidence spectroscopy. High-level coupled-cluster calculations of the stationary points on the anion surface show that the methoxide-water cluster CH3O-(H2O) is the stable minimum on the anion surface. Photodetachment at a 3.20 eV photon energy leads to long-lived H2O(CH3O) complexes and H2O + CH3O products consistent with both direct dissociative photodetachment and resonance mediated processes on the neutral surface. The partitioning of total kinetic energy in the system indicates that water stretch and bend excitation is induced in dissociative photodetachment and evidence for long-lived complexes consistent with vibrational Feshbach resonances is reported.

On-the-Fly Ring-Polymer Molecular Dynamics Calculations of the Dissociative Photodetachment Process of the Oxalate Anion.

The dissociative photodetachment dynamics of the oxalate anion, C2O4H− + hν → CO2 + HOCO + e−, were theoretically studied using the on-the-fly path-integral and ring-polymer molecular dynamics methods, which can account for nuclear quantum effects at the density-functional theory level in order to compare with the recent experimental study using photoelectron–photofragment coincidence spectroscopy. To reduce computational time, the force acting on each bead of ring-polymer was approximately calculated from the first and second derivatives of the potential energy at the centroid position of the nuclei beads. We find that the calculated photoelectron spectrum qualitatively reproduces the experimental spectrum and that nuclear quantum effects are playing a role in determining spectral widths. The calculated coincidence spectrum is found to reasonably reproduce the experimental spectrum, indicating that a relatively large energy is partitioned into the relative kinetic energy between the CO2 and HOCO fragments. This is because photodetachment of the parent anion leads to Franck–Condon transition to the repulsive region of the neutral potential energy surface. We also find that the dissociation dynamics are slightly different between the two isomers of the C2O4H− anion with closed- and open-form structures.

Dissociative photodetachment of H3O2-: a full-dimensional quantum dynamics study.

The transition state is a central concept of chemistry. Photoelectron-photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy has been proven as an attractive method to study the transition state dynamics. Within a state-of-the-art full-dimensional quantum mechanical model, the dissociative photodetachment dynamics of H3O2- is investigated on accurate anion and neutral potential energy surfaces. The calculated PPC spectrum of H3O2- agrees well with the experimental measurement. The dissociative product OH is exclusively populated on the ground vibrational state, implying the character of the spectator bond. In contrast, the product H2O is predominantly populated in the ground and fundamental states of the symmetric and antisymmetric stretching modes, which is caused by the strong coupling between the antisymmetric motion of the transferred H atom in the transient intermediate [H3O2]* and both stretching modes of the product H2O.

Theoretical Analysis of the Formylmethylene Anion Photoelectron Spectrum: Importance of Wolff Rearrangement Dynamics.

Photoelectron spectroscopy of a molecular anion is very useful for investigating the transition state and intermediate regions on the reactive potential energy surfaces of a neutral system. In this work, we theoretically analyzed the previously measured photoelectron spectrum of the formylmethylene anion, HCCHO-. We simulated the photoelectron spectra for both the singlet and triplet states using the semiclassical method with quantum nuclear densities and Franck-Condon factor calculations with harmonic vibrational analysis. We also performed real-time quantum dynamics calculations to elucidate the importance of the Wolff rearrangement process, which leads to the stable product ketene from the carbene intermediate on the neutral singlet potential energy surface.

Photoelectron-Photofragment Coincidence Studies on the Dissociation Dynamics of the OH-CH4 Complex.

Photoelectron-photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy was used to characterize the energetics and dynamics of the OH + CH4 → H2O + CH3 reaction initiated by photodetachment of the OH-(CH4) anion complex. PPC measurements at a photon energy of 3.20 eV yielded stable (OH-CH4 + e-) and dissociative (OH + CH4 (ν1 or ν3, v = 0, 1) + e-) channels. The main channel is dissociation to OH + CH4 + e- with a low kinetic energy release (KER), peaking at 0.04 eV. Interpretation of the experimental results was supported by quantum chemistry and quasiclassical trajectory calculations. The anion potential energy surface was constructed at the correlated coupled cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples level with augmented correlation consistent polarized valence triple-ζ basis set, and previously calculated neutral potential energy surfaces were used. Quasiclassical simulation of the dynamics of the OH-CH4 complex was carried out by selecting the momenta and coordinates from the Wigner distribution for the anion, providing the starting point for 4000 trajectories on the neutral potential energy surface. In agreement with the experimental results, most of the trajectories yield slowly recoiling OH + CH4 reactants while some are trapped in the entrance channel van der Waals well.

Ultraviolet relaxation dynamics in uracil: Time-resolved photoion yield studies using a laser-based thermal desorption source.

Wavelength-dependent measurements of the RNA base uracil, undertaken with nanosecond ultraviolet laser pulses, have previously identified a fragment at m/z = 84 (corresponding to the C3H4N2O+ ion) at excitation wavelengths ≤232 nm. This has been interpreted as a possible signature of a theoretically predicted ultrafast ring-opening occurring on a neutral excited state potential energy surface. To further investigate the dynamics of this mechanism, and also the non-adiabatic dynamics operating more generally in uracil, we have used a newly built ultra-high vacuum spectrometer incorporating a laser-based thermal desorption source to perform time-resolved ion-yield measurements at pump wavelengths of 267 nm, 220 nm, and 200 nm. We also report complementary data obtained for the related species 2-thiouracil following 267 nm excitation. Where direct comparisons can be made (267 nm), our findings are in good agreement with the previously reported measurements conducted on these systems using cold molecular beams, demonstrating that the role of initial internal energy on the excited state dynamics is negligible. Our 220 nm and 200 nm data also represent the first reported ultrafast study of uracil at pump wavelengths <250 nm, revealing extremely rapid (<200 fs) relaxation of the bright S3(1ππ*) state. These measurements do not, however, provide any evidence for the appearance of the m/z = 84 fragment within the first few hundred picoseconds following excitation. This key finding indicates that the detection of this specific species in previous nanosecond work is not directly related to an ultrafast ring-opening process. An alternative excited state process, operating on a more extended time scale, remains an open possibility.

Understanding Processes Following Resonant Electron Attachment: Minimum-Energy Crossing Points between Anionic and Neutral Potential Energy Surfaces.

The equation-of-motion coupled-cluster singles and doubles (EOM-CCSD) method with and without a complex absorbing potential (CAP) is applied for the study of the complex potential energy surfaces (CPES) of temporary anions and their parent neutral molecules. Crossings between the anionic state and the neutral state can be connected to the emission of nearly zero-energy electrons, which is demonstrated by the examples of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile. We show that the location of the minimum-energy crossing point (MECP) relative to the equilibrium structures of the neutral molecule and the anion can explain experimentally observed peaks on the threshold line of two-dimensional electron-energy loss spectra. The location and energy of the MECP is also crucial in dissociative electron attachment as we illustrate for chloro-substituted ethylenes. It is demonstrated that both the metastable region of the anionic CPES and the crossing with the neutral PES need to be considered to explain trends in the chloride ion formation cross sections of dichloroethylenes.

Theoretical analyses of the time-resolved nuclear dynamics of the transition state for the 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene unimolecular reaction

When a stable negative ion is similar in structure to the transition state for the neutral reaction, photodetachment of the anion can be used to directly access the transition state region of the neutral potential energy surface. In this work, from the theoretical side, we address the femtosecond time-resolved experiment for the cyclooctatetraene (COT) unimolecular reaction which has been previously performed by Zewail et al. (2004), where the time-evolution of the nuclear wave packet, which is initially localized around the transition state region via instantaneous photodetachment, is monitored by an ionization laser. The oscillatory behavior of the ionization efficiency observed in their experiment is analyzed in detail using both the reduced-dimensionality quantum dynamics calculations and full-dimensional direct dynamics calculations on the CASSCF-level potential energy surfaces. We found that the behavior observed in an early stage can be attributable to the ring-inversion dynamics of COT.

Ab initio study of reactive collisions between Rb((2)S) or Rb((2)P) and OH(-)((1)Σ(+)).

A theoretical rate constant for the associative detachment reaction Rb((2)S) + OH(-)((1)Σ(+)) → RbOH((1)Σ(+)) + e(-) of 4 × 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1) at 300 K has been calculated. This result agrees with the experimental rate constant of 2-1 (+2)×10(-10)cm(3)s(-1) obtained by Deiglmayr et al. [Phys. Rev. A 86, 043438 (2012)] for a temperature between 200 K and 600 K. A Langevin-based dynamics which depends on the crossing point between the anion (RbOH(-)) and neutral (RbOH) potential energy surfaces has been used. The calculations were performed using the ECP28MDF effective core potential to describe the rubidium atom at the CCSD(T) level of theory and extended basis sets. The effect of ECPs and basis set on the height of the crossing point, and hence the rate constant, has been investigated. The temperature dependence of the latter is also discussed. Preliminary work on the potential energy surface for the excited reaction channel Rb((2)P) + OH(-)((1)Σ(+)) calculated at the CASSCF-icMRCI level of theory is presented. We qualitatively discuss the charge transfer and associative detachment reactions arising from this excited entrance channel.

Quantum transition state dynamics of the cyclooctatetraene unimolecular reaction on ab initio potential energy surfaces

The cyclooctatetraene (COT) anion has a stable D4h structure that is similar to the transition state configurations of the neutral C–C bond-alternation (D4h↔D8h↔D4h) and ring-inversion (D2d↔D4h↔D2d) unimolecular reactions. The previously measured photodetachment spectrum of COT− revealed the reaction dynamics in the vicinity of the two transition states on the neutral potential energy surface. In this work, the photodetachment spectrum is calculated quantum mechanically on ab initio-level potential energy surfaces within a three degree-of-freedom reduced-dimensionality model. Very good agreement has been obtained between theory and experiment, providing reliable interpretations for the experimental spectrum. A detailed picture of the reactive molecular dynamics of the COT unimolecular reaction in the transition state region is also discussed.

Energetics and transition-state dynamics of the F + HOCH3 → HF + OCH3 reaction.

The F + HOCH3 → HF + OCH3 reaction is a system with 15 internal degrees of freedom that can provide a benchmark for the development of theory for increasingly complex chemical reactions. The dynamics of this reaction were studied by photoelectron-photofragment coincidence (PPC) spectroscopy carried out on the F-(HOCH3) anion, aided by a computational study of both the anion and neutral potential energy surfaces, with energies extrapolated to the CCSDT(Q)/CBS level of theory. Photodetachment at 4.80 eV accesses both the reactant and product channels for this reaction. In the product channel (HF + OCH3 + e-) of the neutral potential energy surface, vibrationally excited HF products in addition to the stable product-channel hydrogen-bonded complex (FH-OCH3) are observed in the PPC and photoelectron spectra. In addition, experimental evidence is observed for the reactant-channel van der Waals complex (F-HOCH3), in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The relative stability of these long-lived complexes was probed by reducing the ion beam energy, increasing the product time-of-flight, indicating lifetimes on the microsecond timescale for the reactant- and product-channel complexes as well as providing evidence for long-lived vibrational Feshbach resonances associated with the HF(v > 0) + OCH3 product states. This system will provide a model for extending full-dimensionality quantum dynamics to larger numbers of degrees of freedom.

Effects of the Vibrational Motion of XHY–ON the Post-Photo Detachment Dissociation Dynamics of the XHY Complex (X, Y = Br, I)

We explore the effects of the transition-state vibrational motions on the dynamics of the reaction X + HY →[XHY]‡→XH + Y with X and Y = Br, I. We performed simulations of the dissociation process of the unstable XHY complex using a classical trajectory methodology, combined with London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato (LEPS) potentials to approximate the interactions among the atoms in XHY. We employed an almost classical sampling scheme on the stable XHY–species to obtain the initial conditions for the trajectories by assuming a vertical transition to the XHY neutral potential energy surface. To study the effects of the vibrations, we considered different sets of initial conditions reflecting specific XHY normal mode excitations. We found an increase in the rotational energies of the product diatoms with an increase in the energy associated to the bending normal modes of XHY. Analysis of the vibrational distributions of the diatoms shows higher most probable vibrational quantum numbers for HBr when compared to HI. For some initial conditions, we also found approximately thermal rotational distributions in the product diatoms.

Signatures of Isomerization in Photodissociation of trans- Crotonaldehyde Probed by Multiphoton Ionization Mass Spectrometry

We report the observation of new isomerization effects in the UV-photodissociation of trans-crotonaldehyde upon multiphoton excitation by the third harmonic (355 nm) pulses of a Nd:YAG laser. A time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis reveals formation of acetaldehyde, acetyl, and methoxy radical cations as signatures of isomerization processes. A small segment of the multiphoton ionization spectrum of jet-cooled crotonaldehyde is recorded by tuning the laser frequency around 355 nm. An oxetene type transient intermediate in the ground state has been considered for acetaldehyde formation following a photochemical model suggested earlier (Reguero ; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 2101-2114) for such compounds. Likewise, for methoxy radical formation, a trans-cis isomerization about the C═C double bond has been considered in a triplet surface. Electron ionization mass spectra of the compound are also recorded by varying the electron kinetic energy in the range 11-70 eV. Ionic fragments in the mass spectra of the two ionization processes are dramatically different. Our suggested mechanisms for isomerization and fragmentation channels are substantiated by density functional theory calculations. Combined experimental and calculated data lead us conclude that isomerization occurs in neutral potential energy surfaces prior to dissociation and photoionization.

Characterization of the t-Butyl Radical and Its Elusive Anion.

The t-butyl radical and its anion are studied theoretically using state-of-the-art quantum mechanical methods including coupled cluster theory with full single, double, and triple excitations (CCSDT) and CCSDT with perturbative quadruple excitations [CCSDT(Q)], in concert with large correlation-consistent cc-pVXZ and aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, Q, 5) basis sets. The relative energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set limit (CBS). The lowest energy structure of the t-butyl radical has a nonplanar carbon backbone with overall C3v symmetry. Low-lying C3h and Cs symmetry transition states, for pyramidal inversion and methyl group rotation, respectively, between equivalent C3v minima are investigated. The barriers for these interconversions are both less than 1 kcal mol(-1), but the corresponding barriers on the anion potential energy surface are more pronounced. Using the focal point analysis technique, we obtain a value of -0.48 kcal mol(-1) for the t-butyl radical adiabatic electron affinity at the CCSDT(Q)/CBS level of theory, where the negative sign indicates that the formation of the t-butyl anion is adiabatically unfavorable. We show that the electron affinity, whose sign has been the subject of debate, is very sensitive to both the basis set and the correlation treatment, and previous experimental and theoretical estimates of its value bracket the value computed herein. Our results indicate that the t-butyl anion is classically metastable with a vertical detachment energy of over 10 kcal mol(-1) to reach the neutral potential energy surface. However, the inclusion of the zero-point vibrational effects seems to favor its nonexistence.

On the Temperature Dependence of the Thermal Electron Attachment to SF 6 , SF 5 Cl, and POCl 3

Abstract A simplified model for electron attachment to neutral molecules, separating electron--phonon coupling (or intramolecular vibrational redistribution, IVR) factors into an electronic and a vibrational contribution, is tested by comparison with experimental results for the nondissociative electron attachments to SF6, SF5Cl, and POCl3. It is shown that the experimental results can approximately be reproduced by the fit of two parameters, one of them characterizing the dependence of the IVR factor on the electron energy and one accounting for an effective threshold energy for overlap of vibrational wave functions on anionic and neutral potential energy surfaces. After fitting these parameters, temperature dependences over wide ranges of conditions can be represented. Likewise, kinetic modeling of dissociative processes of the highly excited anions produced by attachment is facilitated.

Low ionization potentials of Na4OCN superalkali molecules

The structure and properties of hypermetalated Na4OCN molecules and their corresponding Na4OCN+ daughter cations were investigated using ab initio methods at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(3df)//MP2/6-311+G(d) level of theory. Eight neutral Na4OCN geometrically stable isomers were found to possess similar electronic energies. The vertical ionization potentials (IP) of the Na4OCN isomeric systems (determined at the OVGF/6-311+G(3df) level) were calculated to span the 4.117–4.640 eV range, which allows the classification of the Na4OCN species as superalkali molecules (the predicted ionization potentials are smaller than the IP of the Na atom, 5.14 eV). The global minimum on the Na4OCN ground-state neutral potential energy surface was found to correspond to the kite-shaped structure whose vertical IP was estimated to be 4.478 eV.

Effects of two vibrational modes in the dissociative electron attachment toCF3Cl

We present a study of multimode effects in dissociative electron attachment to ${\text{CF}}_{3}\text{Cl}$ molecules using a time-independent version of the local complex potential theory. Symmetric stretch C-Cl vibrations ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{3}$ and symmetric deformation (or so-called umbrella) vibrations ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}$ are included. The neutral and anion potential energy surfaces are calculated using the second-order M\o{}ller-Plesset perturbation theory with an empirical adjustment of the vertical attachment energy. The final-state vibrational distribution in the ${\text{CF}}_{3}({\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2})$ fragment is dominated by the ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}=2$ state. We also find an increase in the total cross section as compared with the one-dimensional calculations. This is explained by an increase in the anion survival probability.

Photodetachment and dissociation dynamics of microsolvated iodide clusters

The properties of anionic clusters I−X (X=carbon dioxide, water, ammonia, benzene, phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene) and their dissociation dynamics on the neutral potential energy surface following photodetachment (PD) were studied by photoelectron–photofragment coincidence experiments. Different reaction channels were available using 4.82 eV energy photons, leading to production of iodine in the 2P3/2 and 2P1/2 states and to both stable and dissociating neutral clusters. The partitioning of the available energy strongly favors the electron kinetic energy channel. The kinetic energy release in the fragment channel is rather small and dependent on the potential energy surface on which the process takes place. A multistep dissociative PD process is observed for the iodide–aniline cluster leading to production of zero kinetic energy electrons.