Variational Transition State Theory Calculations Research Articles

Polyrate 2023: A computer program for the calculation of chemical reaction rates for polyatomics. New version announcement

Polyrate 2023: A computer program for the calculation of chemical reaction rates for polyatomics. New version announcement

Theoretical and experimental study of the OH radical with 3‐bromopropene gas phase reaction rate coefficients temperature dependence

AbstractIn this work, the rate‐determining steps of the OH radical + 3‐bromopropene gas phase reaction were studied, which could explain for the possible negative activation energy observed in experiments. To obtain new kinetic parameters and data for critical revisions, a reinvestigation of the rate coefficient (k) and its temperature dependence was carried out using the PLP‐LIF technique, in the 254‐ to 371‐K range. Moreover, quantum‐mechanical and canonical variational transition state theory calculations were performed, taking into consideration four OH addition and two β‐hydrogen atom abstraction reaction channels. The proposed kinetic model fits to the observed experimental Arrhenius behavior, and three not negligible reaction pathways are described for the first time.

Three-Body Collisions Driving the Ion-Molecule Reaction C2- + H2 at Low Temperatures.

We report on the three-body reaction rate of C2- with H2 producing C2H- studied in a cryogenic 16-pole radio frequency ion trap. The reaction was measured in the temperature range from 10 to 28 K, where it was found to only take place via three-body collisions. The experimentally determined termolecular rate coefficient follows the form of with T0 = 20 K, where a = 8.2(3) × 10-30 cm6/s and b = -0.82(12) denotes the temperature dependence. We additionally performed accurate ab initio calculations of the forces between the interacting partners and carried out variational transition state theory calculations, including tunneling through the barrier along the minimum energy path. We show that, while a simple classical model can generally predict the temperature dependence, the variational transition state theoretical calculations, including accurate quantum interactions, can explain the dominance of three-body effects in the molecular reaction mechanism and can reproduce the experimentally determined reaction coefficients, linking them to a temperature-dependent coupling parameter for energy dissipation within the transition complex.

Flash pyrolysis mechanism of trimethylchlorosilane

The thermal decomposition mechanism of trimethylchlorosilane at temperatures up to 1400 K was investigated using flash pyrolysis microreactor coupled with vacuum ultraviolet (118.2 nm) photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The main initiation reaction of the parent molecule was identified to be HCl molecular elimination producing Me2Si=CH2, and its onset temperature was estimated to be around 1210 K. The methyl loss channel was also observed at an onset temperature of ∼1280 K. Other possible initiation pathways such as chlorine atom loss and methane molecular elimination were considered to be insignificant. Quantum chemistry calculations at the UCCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//UM05–2X/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory were performed to study the energetics of the possible initiation pathways. The theoretical calculations revealed that the HCl elimination channel via a van der Waals intermediate was the most energetically favored pathway among all the initiation channels, in agreement with the experimental observations. Transition state theory (TST) and variational transition state theory (VTST) calculations were employed to calculate unimolecular dissociation rate constants of the initiation reactions at elevated temperatures. The results supported the experimental observations and reaction energetics calculations that the HCl molecular elimination reaction was the most prominent initiation reaction and the CH3 loss channel was a significant initiation reaction channel. Secondary reactions of the initial products were identified, and the possible mechanisms were proposed.

Probing the gas-phase oxidation of ammonia: Addressing uncertainties with theoretical calculations

The kinetics of the reactions H2NO + O2(3Σg−) → HNO(X˜1A′) + HO2 and NH2 + HO2 → NH3 + O2(3Σg−), which are, respectively, very sensitive chain-propagation and chain-termination reactions in ammonia kinetic models, have been revisited by means of high-level electronic structure and variational transition state theory calculations with the goal of improving former predictions and the performance of ammonia kinetic models. In addition, the rate constants of the reactions H2NO + O2(3Σg−) → HNO(a˜3A″) + HO2, NH2 + HO2 → H2NO + OH, and NH2 + HO2 → NH3 + O2(1Δg), which take place on excited-state potential energy surfaces and/or yield the electronically excited species HNO(a˜3A″) and O2(1Δg), have been also calculated for the first time in order to assess their importance in ammonia oxidation. We observed that spin contamination and multi-reference character are pronounced in many of the investigated reactions, and these features were handled by performing post-CCSD(T) electronic structure calculations with the W3X-L composite method as well as restricted open shell coupled cluster calculations. Branching ratios were also analyzed, and indicate that the contribution of the electronically excited species HNO(a˜3A″) and O2(1Δg) are of little importance even at very high temperatures; however, we do not preclude an effect of those species at certain conditions that contribute to their yield. The calculated rate constants were implemented in two recent kinetic models to perform jet stirred reactor, rapid compression machine, and flow reactor simulations, concluding that the model predictions are very sensitive to the reactions H2NO + O2(3Σg−) → HNO(X˜1A′) + HO2 and NH2 + HO2 → NH3 + O2(3Σg−) .

Dynamic Effects on Migratory Aptitudes in Carbocation Reactions.

Carbocation rearrangement reactions are of great significance to synthetic and biosynthetic chemistry. In pursuit of a scale of inherent migratory aptitude that takes into account dynamic effects, both uphill and downhill ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations were used to examine competing migration events in a model system designed to remove steric and electronic biases. The results of these simulations were combined with detailed investigations of potential energy surface topography and variational transition state theory calculations to reveal the importance of nonstatistical dynamic effects on migratory aptitude.

Formic acid catalyzed keto‐enol tautomerizations for C2and C3enols: Implications in atmospheric and combustion chemistry

AbstractEnols are important species in atmospheric and combustion chemistry. However, their implications in these environments are not well established due to a lack of accurate rate constants and mechanisms to determine their fate. In this work, we investigate the formic acid catalyzed keto‐enol tautomerizations converting vinyl alcohol, propen‐2‐ol and 1‐propenol into acetaldehyde, acetone and propanal, respectively. High‐level ab initio and multistructural torsional variational transition state theory calculations are performed with small‐curvature tunneling corrections to obtain rate constants in the temperature range 200 K‐3000 K. Tunneling is shown to be pronounced as a consequence of very narrow adiabatic potential energy curves, and indicates a need to revisit previous calculations. We show the implications of the studied reactions on the fate of enols under combustion relevant conditions by detailed kinetic modeling simulations. The yield of vinyl alcohol predicted by our calculated rate constants may be useful to lessen the underestimation of organic acids concentrations in current atmospheric models.

Ab Initio, Transition State Theory, and Kinetic Modeling Study of the HO2-Assisted Keto-Enol Tautomerism Propen-2-ol + HO2 ⇔ Acetone + HO2 under Combustion, Atmospheric, and Interstellar Conditions.

Keto-enol tautomerisms are important reactions in gaseous and liquid systems with implications in different chemical environments, but their kinetics have not been widely investigated. These reactions can proceed via a unimolecular process or may be catalyzed by another molecule. This work presents a theoretical study of the HO2-catalyzed tautomerism that converts propen-2-ol into acetone at conditions relevant to combustion, atmospheric and interstellar chemistry. We performed CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//M06-2X/cc-pVTZ ab initio and multistructural torsional variational transition state theory calculations to compute the forward and reverse rate constants. These rate constants have not been investigated previously, and modelers approximate the kinetics by comparison to analogue reactions. Two features of the potential energy surface of the studied tautomerism are highlighted. First, the HO2 radical exhibits a pronounced catalytic effect by inducing a double hydrogen atom transfer reaction with a much lower barrier than that of the unimolecular process. Second, a prereactive complex is formed with a strong OH···π hydrogen bond. The role of the studied reaction under combustion conditions has been assessed via chemical kinetic modeling of 2-butanol (a potential alternative fuel) oxidation. The HO2-assisted process was found to not be competitive with the unimolecular and HCOOH-assisted tautomerisms. The rate constants for the formation of the prereactive complex were calculated with the variable reaction coordinate transition state theory, and pressure effects were estimated with the system-specific quantum Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel theory; this allowed us to investigate the role of the complex by using the canonical unified statistical model. The formation and equilibration of the prereactive complex, which is also important at low pressures, enhances the reactivity by inducing a large tunneling effect that leads to a significant increase of the rate constants at cold and ultracold temperatures. These findings may help to understand and model the fate of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium, and suggest an alternative route for the high energy barrier keto-enol tautomerism which otherwise is not kinetically favored at low temperatures.

Kinetics of Hydrogen Radical Reactions with Toluene Including Chemical Activation Theory Employing System-Specific Quantum RRK Theory Calibrated by Variational Transition State Theory.

Pressure-dependent reactions are ubiquitous in combustion and atmospheric chemistry. We employ a new calibration procedure for quantum Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel (QRRK) unimolecular rate theory within a chemical activation mechanism to calculate the pressure-falloff effect of a radical association with an aromatic ring. The new theoretical framework is applied to the reaction of H with toluene, which is a prototypical reaction in the combustion chemistry of aromatic hydrocarbons present in most fuels. Both the hydrogen abstraction reactions and the hydrogen addition reactions are calculated. Our system-specific (SS) QRRK approach is adjusted with SS parameters to agree with multistructural canonical variational transition state theory with multidimensional tunneling (MS-CVT/SCT) at the high-pressure limit. The new method avoids the need for the usual empirical estimations of the QRRK parameters, and it eliminates the need for variational transition state theory calculations as a function of energy, although in this first application we do validate the falloff curves by comparing SS-QRRK results without tunneling to multistructural microcanonical variational transition state theory (MS-μVT) rate constants without tunneling. At low temperatures, the two approaches agree well with each other, but at high temperatures, SS-QRRK tends to overestimate falloff slightly. We also show that the variational effect is important in computing the energy-resolved rate constants. Multiple-structure anharmonicity, torsional-potential anharmonicity, and high-frequency-mode vibrational anharmonicity are all included in the rate computations, and torsional anharmonicity effects on the density of states are investigated. Branching fractions, which are both temperature- and pressure-dependent (and for which only limited data is available from experiment), are predicted as a function of pressure.

Correct Interpretation of How Tunneling Proceeds at Low Temperatures in the Proton Transfer Reactions Involving Thiotropolone: A Comment

The correct interpretation is provided of how tunneling proceeds at low temperatures in the proton transfer Reactions (1) and (3) involving thiotropolone and tropolone (see the Arrhenius plots). It is also shown that the variational transition-state theory calculations carried out by Jose and Datta (Angew. Chem.­ 2012, 124, 9523; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.­ 2012, 51, 9389), as well as their conclusions regarding these two processes are erroneous. As a service to our authors and readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials are peer reviewed and may be re-organized for online delivery, but are not copy-edited or typeset. Technical support issues arising from supporting information (other than missing files) should be addressed to the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.

Association reaction between SiH3 and H2O2: a computational study of the reaction mechanism and kinetics

The association reaction between silyl radical (SiH3) and H2O2 has been studied in detail using high-level composite ab initio CBS-QB3 and G4MP2 methods. The global hybrid meta-GGA M06 and M06-2X density functionals in conjunction with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set have also been applied. To understand the kinetics, variational transition-state theory calculation is performed on the first association step, and successive unimolecular reactions are subjected to Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus calculations to predict the reaction rate constants and product branching ratios. The bimolecular rate constant for SiH3–H2O2 association in the temperature range 250–600 K, k(T) = 6.89 × 10−13 T −0.163exp(−0.22/RT) cm3 molecule−1 s−1 agrees well with the current literature. The OH production channel, which was experimentally found to be a minor one, is confirmed by the rate constants and branching ratios. Also, the correlation between our theoretical work and experimental literature is established. The production of SiO via secondary reactions is calculated to be one of the major reaction channels from highly stabilized adducts. The H-loss pathway, i.e., SiH2(OH)2 + H, is the major decomposition channel followed by secondary dissociation leading to SiO.

Direct-dynamics VTST study of hydrogen or deuterium abstraction and C–C bond formation or dissociation in the reactions of CH3 + CH4, CH3 + CD4, CH3D + CD3, CH3CH3 + H, and CH3CD3 + D

Direct-dynamics variational transition-state theory calculations are studied at the MPWB1K∕6-311++G(d,p) level for the four parts of reactions. The first part is hydrogen or deuterium abstraction in the reactions of CH3 + CH4, CH3 + CD4, and CH3D + CH3. The second part involves C-C bond formation in these reactions. The third one is the reactions of CH3CH3 + H and CH3CD3 + D to form of H2, HD, and D2. The last one is the dissociation of C-C bonds in the last group of reactions. The ground-state vibrational adiabatic potential is plotted for all channels. We have carried out direct-dynamics calculations of the rate constants, including multidimensional tunneling in the temperature range T = 200-2200 K. The results of CVT∕μOMT rate constants were in good agreement with the experimental data which were available for some reactions. Small-curvature tunneling and Large-curvature tunneling with the LCG4 version were used to include the quantum effects in calculation of the rate constants. To try to find the region of formation and dissociation of bounds we have also reported the variations of harmonic vibrational frequencies along the reaction path. The thermally averaged transmission probability (P(E)exp (-ΔE∕RT)) and representative tunneling energy at 298 K are reported for the reactions in which tunneling is important. We have calculated kinetic isotope effect which shows tunneling and vibrational contributions are noticeable to determine the rate constant. Nonlinear least-squares fitting is used to calculate rate constant expressions in the temperature range 200-2200 K. These expressions revealed that pre-exponential factor includes two parts; the first part is a constant number which is important at low temperatures while the second part is temperature dependent which is significant at high temperatures.

Reaction mechanism and kinetics of the atmospheric oxidation of 1,4-thioxane by NO3 — A theoretical study

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as pollutants into the atmosphere from many natural and artificial sources. The oxidation of VOCs by atmospheric species plays a key role in the degradation of VOCs. In the present investigation, the atmospheric degradation of a cyclic organosulfur compound, 1,4-thioxane, by an NO3• radical is studied. Pathways for the reaction of 1,4-thioxane with the NO3• radical were modeled through electronic structure calculations using density functional theory methods B3LYP, M06-2X, and MP2 with the 6–31G(d,p) basis set. The NO3•-initiated reaction of 1,4-thioxane was found to proceed in three ways: by single-hydrogen atom abstraction, by direct transfer of the O atom of NO3• to the S atom moiety of 1,4-thioxane, or by two-hydrogen atom transfer reactions leading to the formation of a peroxy radical intermediate, which further undergoes secondary reactions with other atmospheric species. Structures, energies, and vibrational frequencies obtained from M06-2X/6–31G(d,p) electronic structure calculations were subsequently used to perform canonical variational transition-state theory calculations to determine the rate constants over the temperature range of 278–350 K and to study the lifetime of 1,4-thioxane in the atmosphere. The rate constant calculated for the reaction of 1,4-thioxane with the NO3• radical is in good agreement with the available experimental data.

Theoretical studies on the reaction mechanism and kinetics of the atmospheric reactions of 1,4-thioxane with OH radical

The volatile organic compounds (VOC) are emitted as pollutants into the atmosphere from many natural and artificial sources. The oxidation of VOC by the atmospheric species plays a key role in the degradation of VOC. In this investigation, the atmospheric degradation of a cyclic organosulfur compound 1,4-thioxane by OH radical is studied. The pathways for the reaction of 1,4-thioxane with OH radical have been modeled through electronic structure calculations using density functional theory at B3LYP and M06-2X level of theories with 6-31G(d,p) basis set. The structures, energies, and vibrational frequencies obtained from DFT calculations were subsequently used to perform canonical variational transition-state theory calculations to determine the rate constants over the temperature range of 278–350 K and to study the lifetime of 1,4-thioxane in the atmosphere. The OH-initiated reaction of 1,4-thioxane was found to proceed by hydrogen atom abstraction reaction and subsequent O2 addition, leading to the formation of peroxy radical intermediate, which further undergoes secondary reactions with other atmospheric species. The possibility for the formation of various products from the oxidation of 1,4-thioxane in the atmosphere and their environmental implications are discussed. The rate constant calculated for the reaction of 1,4-thioxane with OH radical is in good agreement with the available experimental data. The reaction energy profile for the initial reaction of 1,4-thioxane with OH radical calculated at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory .

Mechanism and kinetics of the reaction of 1,4-thioxane with O3 in the atmosphere – A theoretical study

A theoretical investigation of the atmospheric oxidation of a cyclic organosulfur compound 1,4-thioxane by O3 is performed. The pathways for the reaction of 1,4-thioxane with O3 have been modeled using B3LYP, M06-2X, MPW1K and MP2 level of theories with 6-31G(d,p), 6-311G(d,p) and 6-31+G(d,p) basis sets. The reaction is initiated by the formation of a primary ozonide, followed by a biradical, which on subsequent reactions with other atmospheric species produces hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxides and organic peroxides. The results obtained from DFT calculations were subsequently used to perform canonical variational transition-state theory calculations to determine the rate constant. The calculated rate constant is in good agreement with the available experimental data.

Kinetics of the reaction of the heaviest hydrogen atom with H2, the 4Heμ + H2 → 4HeμH + H reaction: Experiments, accurate quantal calculations, and variational transition state theory, including kinetic isotope effects for a factor of 36.1 in isotopic mass

The neutral muonic helium atom (4)Heμ, in which one of the electrons of He is replaced by a negative muon, may be effectively regarded as the heaviest isotope of the hydrogen atom, with a mass of 4.115 amu. We report details of the first muon spin rotation (μSR) measurements of the chemical reaction rate constant of (4)Heμ with molecular hydrogen, (4)Heμ + H(2) → (4)HeμH + H, at temperatures of 295.5, 405, and 500 K, as well as a μSR measurement of the hyperfine coupling constant of muonic He at high pressures. The experimental rate constants, k(Heμ), are compared with the predictions of accurate quantum mechanical (QM) dynamics calculations carried out on a well converged Born-Huang (BH) potential energy surface, based on complete configuration interaction calculations and including a Born-Oppenheimer diagonal correction. At the two highest measured temperatures the agreement between the quantum theory and experiment is good to excellent, well within experimental uncertainties that include an estimate of possible systematic error, but at 295.5 K the quantum calculations for k(Heμ) are below the experimental value by 2.1 times the experimental uncertainty estimates. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Variational transition state theory calculations with multidimensional tunneling have also been carried out for k(Heμ) on the BH surface, and they agree with the accurate QM rate constants to within 30% over a wider temperature range of 200-1000 K. Comparisons between theory and experiment are also presented for the rate constants for both the D + H(2) and Mu + H(2) reactions in a novel study of kinetic isotope effects for the H + H(2) reactions over a factor of 36.1 in isotopic mass of the atomic reactant.

Variational transition‐state theory study of the rate constant of the DMS·OH scavenging reaction by O2

The chemical tropospheric dimethyl sulfide (DMS, CH3SCH3) degradation involves several steps highly dependent on the environmental conditions. So, intensive efforts have been devoted during the last years to enhance the understanding of the DMS oxidation mechanism under different conditions. The reaction of DMS with OH is considered to be the most relevant process that initiates the whole oxidation process. The experimental observations have been explained by a two-channel mechanism consisting of a H-abstraction process leading to CH3S(O)CH3 and HO2 and an addition reaction leading to the DMS·OH adduct. In the presence of O2, the DMS·OH adduct is competitively scavenged increasing the contribution of the addition channel to the overall DMS oxidation. Recent experimental measurements have determined from a global fit that the rate constant of this scavenging process is independent of pressure and temperature but this rate constant cannot be directly measured. In this article, a variational transition-state theory calculation of the low- and high-pressure rate constants for the reaction between DMS·OH and O2 has been carried out as a function of temperature. Our proposal is that the slight temperature dependence of the scavenging rate constant can only be explained if the H-abstraction bottleneck is preceded by a dynamical bottleneck corresponding to the association process between the DMS·OH adduct and the O2 molecule. The agreement between the low-pressure and high-pressure rate constants confirms the experimental observations.

High-level direct-dynamics variational transition state theory calculations including multidimensional tunneling of the thermal rate constants, branching ratios, and kinetic isotope effects of the hydrogen abstraction reactions from methanol by atomic hydrogen

We report a detailed theoretical study of the hydrogen abstraction reaction from methanol by atomic hydrogen. The study includes the analysis of thermal rate constants, branching ratios, and kinetic isotope effects. Specifically, we have performed high-level computations at the MC3BB level together with direct dynamics calculations by canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with the microcanonically optimized multidimensional tunneling (μOMT) transmission coefficient (CVT/μOMT) to study both the CH(3)OH+H→CH(2)OH+H(2) (R1) reaction and the CH(3)OH+H→CH(3)O+H(2) (R2) reaction. The CVT/μOMT calculations show that reaction R1 dominates in the whole range 298≤T (K)≤2500 and that anharmonic effects on the torsional mode about the C-O bond are important, mainly at high temperatures. The activation energy for the total reaction sum of R1 and R2 reactions changes substantially with temperature and, therefore, the use of straight-line Arrhenius plots is not valid. We recommend the use of new expressions for the total R1 + R2 reaction and for the R1 and R2 individual reactions.

Kinetic study on the H+SiH4 abstraction reaction using an ab initio potential energy surface

Variational transition state theory calculations with the correction of multidimensional tunneling are performed on a 12-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface for the H + SiH(4) abstraction reaction. The surface is constructed using a dual-level strategy. For the temperature range 200-1600 K, thermal rate constants are calculated and kinetic isotope effects for various isotopic species of the title reaction are investigated. The results are in very good agreement with available experimental data.

Multi-structural variational transition state theory. Kinetics of the 1,4-hydrogen shift isomerization of the pentyl radical with torsional anharmonicity

We present a new formulation of variational transition state theory (VTST) called multi-structural VTST (MS-VTST) and the use of this to calculate the rate constant for the 1,4-hydrogen shift isomerization reaction of 1-pentyl radical and that for the reverse reaction. MS-VTST uses a multi-faceted dividing surface and provides a convenient way to include the contributions of many structures (typically conformers) of the reactant and the transition state in rate constant calculations. In this particular application, we also account for the torsional anharmonicity. We used the multi-configuration Shepard interpolation method to efficiently generate a semi-global portion of the potential energy surface from a small number of high-level electronic structure calculations using the M06 density functional in order to compute the energies and Hessians of Shepard points along a reaction path. The M06-2X density functional was used to calculate the multi-structural anharmonicity effect, including all of the structures of the reactant, product and transition state. To predict the thermal rate constant, VTST calculations were performed to obtain the canonical variational rate constant over the temperature range 200–2000 K. A transmission coefficient is calculated by the multidimensional small-curvature tunneling (SCT) approximation. The final MS-CVT/SCT thermal rate constant was determined by combining a reaction rate calculation in the single-structural harmonic oscillator approximation (including tunneling) with the multi-structural anharmonicity torsional factor. The calculated forward rate constant agrees very well with experimentally-based evaluations of the high-pressure limit for the temperature range 300–1300 K, although it is a factor of 2.5–3.0 lower than the single-structural harmonic oscillator approximation over this temperature range. We anticipate that MS-VTST will be generally useful for calculating the reaction rates of complex molecules with multiple torsions.