Reaction dynamics of CN radicals with tetrahydrofuran in liquid solutions

Transient, broadband infra-red absorption spectroscopy with picosecond time resolution has been used to study the dynamics of reactions of CN radicals with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and d(8)-THF in liquid solutions ranging from neat THF to 0.5 M THF in chlorinated solvents (CDCl(3) and CD(2)Cl(2)). HCN and DCN products were monitored via their v(1) (C≡N stretching) and v(3) (C-H(D) stretching) vibrational absorption bands. Transient spectral features indicate formation of vibrationally excited HCN and DCN, and the onsets of absorption via the fundamental bands of HCN and DCN show short (5-15 ps) delays consistent with vibrational relaxation within the nascent reaction products. This interpretation is confirmed by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations employing a newly derived analytic potential energy surface for the reaction in explicit THF solvent. The rate coefficient for reactive formation of HCN (as determined from measurements on both the 1(1)(0) and 3(1)(0) fundamental bands) decreases with increasing dilution of the THF in CDCl(3) or CD(2)Cl(2), showing pseudo-first order kinetic behaviour for THF concentrations in the range 0.5-4.5 M, and a bimolecular rate coefficient of (1.57 ± 0.12) × 10(10) M(-1) s(-1) is derived. Simultaneous analysis of time-dependent HCN 1(1)(0) and 3(1)(0) band intensities following reaction of CN with THF (3.0 M) in CD(2)Cl(2) suggests that C-H stretching mode excitation is favoured, and this deduction is supported by the computer simulations. The results extend our recent demonstration of nascent vibrational excitation of the products of bimolecular reactions in liquid solution to a different, and more strongly interacting class of organic solvents. They serve to reinforce the finding that dynamics (and thus the topology of the reactive potential energy surface) play an important role in determining the nascent product state distributions in condensed phase reactions.     

Recombination dynamics and hydrogen abstraction reactions of chlorine radicals in solution

We observe chlorine radical dynamics in solution following two-photon photolysis of the solvent, dichloromethane. In neat CH(2)Cl(2), one-third of the chlorine radicals undergo diffusive geminate recombination, and the rest abstract a hydrogen atom from the solvent with a bimolecular rate constant of (1.35 +/- 0.06) x 10(7) M(-1) s(-1). Upon addition of hydrogen-containing solutes, the chlorine atom decay becomes faster, reflecting the presence of a new reaction pathway. We study 16 different solutes that include alkanes (pentane, hexane, heptane, and their cyclic analogues), alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and 1-butanol), and chlorinated alkanes (cyclohexyl chloride, 1-chlorobutane, 2-chlorobutane, 1,2-dichlorobutane, and 1,4-dichlorobutane). Chlorine reactions with alkanes have diffusion-limited rate constants that do not depend on the molecular structure, indicating the absence of a potential barrier. Hydrogen abstraction from alcohols is slower than from alkanes and depends weakly on molecular structure, consistent with a small reaction barrier. Reactions with chlorinated alkanes are the slowest, and their rate constants depend strongly on the number and position of the chlorine substituents, signaling the importance of activation barriers to these reactions. The relative rate constants for the activation-controlled reactions agree very well with the predictions of the gas-phase structure-activity relationships.     

High pressure ESR studies of electron self-exchange reactions of organic radicals in solution

Simple electron self-exchange reactions are often used to study the role of the reaction medium on a chemical process, commonly implying the use of various solvents with different physical properties. In principle, similar studies may be conducted using a single solvent, changing its physical properties by application of elevated pressures, but so far only little information is available on pressure dependent exchange reactions. In this work, we have used a recently constructed high pressure apparatus for use with electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to investigate simple electron self-exchange reactions involving 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and their respective radical anions as well as TMPPD and its radical cation in three different solvents. The self-exchange was observed by ESR line broadening experiments, yielding rate constants and volumes of activation. The experimental results were compared to theoretical calculations based on Marcus theory and taking into account solvent dynamic effects. The use of elevated pressures has enabled the study of solvent effects without commonly encountered problems like solubility issues or chemical reactions between solvent and solute which sometimes limit the range of useable solvents.     

Free radicals in the reactions of organic cations

By using the ESR and CIDNP methods the formation of free radicals in the reaction of nucleophilic and electrophilic substitution is proved. The role of free radicals in the mechanism of these reactions is discussed.     

Gas-phase reactions of organic radicals and diradicals with ions

Reactions of polyatomic organic radicals with gas phase ions have been studied at thermal energy using a flowing afterglow-selected ion flow tube (FA-SIFT) instrument. A supersonic pyrolysis nozzle produces allyl radical (CH2CHCH2) and ortho-benzyne diradical (o-C6H4) for reaction with ions. We have observed: [CH2CHCH2 + H3O+ --> C3H6+ + H2O], [CH2CHCH2 + HO- --> no ion products], [o-C6H4 + H3O+ --> C6H5+ + H2O], and [o-C6H4 + HO- --> C6H3- + H2O]. The proton transfer reactions with H3O+ occur at nearly every collision (kII approximately with 10(-9) cm3 s(-1)). The exothermic proton abstraction for o-C6H4 + HO- is unexpectedly slow (kII approximately with 10(-10) cm3 s(-1)). This has been rationalized by competing associative detachment: o-C6H4 + HO- --> C6H5O + e-. The allyl + HO- reaction proceeds presumably via similar detachment pathways.     

Stereodynamics of chlorine atom reactions with organic molecules

A series of recent experimental and computational studies has explored how the dynamics of hydrogen abstraction from organic molecules are affected by the presence of functional groups in the molecule and by basic structural motifs such as strained ring systems. Comparisons drawn between reactions of Cl atoms with alkanes such as ethane, Cl + CH3CH3--> HCl + CH3CH2, which serve as benchmark systems, and with functionalized molecules such as alcohols, amines, and alkyl halides, Cl + CH3X --> HCl + CH2X (X = OH, NH2, halogen, etc.) expose a wealth of mechanistic detail. Although the scattering dynamics, as revealed from measured angular distributions of the velocities of the HCl with quantum-state resolution, show many similarities, much-enhanced rotational excitation of the HCl products is observed from reactions of the functionalized molecules. The degree of rotational excitation of the HCl correlates with the dipole moment of the CH2X radical and is thus attributed, at least in part, to post-transition-state dipole-dipole interactions between the separating, polar reaction products. This interpretation is supported by direct dynamics trajectories computed on-the-fly, and the HCl rotation is thus argued to serve as an in situ probe of the angular anisotropy of the reaction potential energy surface in the post-transition-state region. Comparisons between the dynamics of reactions of dimethyl ether and the three- and four-membered-ring compounds oxirane (c-C2H4O) and oxetane (c-C3H6O) raise questions about the role of reorientation of the reaction products on a time scale commensurate with their separation. The shapes and structures of polyatomic molecules are thus demonstrated to have important consequences for the stereodynamics of these direct abstraction reactions.     

Electronically nonadiabatic thermal reactions of organic molecules

This critical review seeks to bring together organic reactions in which thermal generation of electronic excited states plays an important role. The best known such reactions are those producing chemiluminescent products. However, it appears that there may exist at least as many nonadiabatic reactions in which the excited molecules react before they luminesce. An effort is made to understand the efficiency of excited state production. The crucial roles played by reactive intermediates are highlighted.     

Sub-picosecond relaxation of large organic molecules in solution

Using sub-picosecond ultraviolet and visible pulses we have studied relaxations from highly-excited molecular vibronic states with a resolution of 2 × 10^?13 s.     

Time-resolved studies of CN radical reactions and the role of complexes in solution

Time-resolved studies using 100 fs laser pulses generate CN radicals photolytically in solution and probe their subsequent reaction with solvent molecules by monitoring both radical loss and product formation. The experiments follow the CN reactants by transient electronic spectroscopy at 400 nm and monitor the HCN products by transient vibrational spectroscopy near 3.07 microm. The observation that CN disappears more slowly than HCN appears shows that the two processes are decoupled kinetically and suggests that the CN radicals rapidly form two different types of complexes that have different reactivities. Electronic structure calculations find two bound complexes between CN and a typical solvent molecule (CH(2)Cl(2)) that are consistent with this picture. The more weakly bound complex is linear with CN bound to an H atom through the N atom, and the more strongly bound complex has a structure in which the CN bridges Cl and H atoms of the solvent. Fitting the transient absorption data with a kinetic model containing two uncoupled complexes reproduces the data for seven different chlorinated alkane solvents and yields rate constants for the reaction of each type of complex. Depending on the solvent, the linear complex reacts between 2.5 and 12 times faster than the bridging complex and is the primary source of the HCN reaction product. Increasing the Cl atom content of the solvents decreases the reaction rate for both complexes.     

Rate constants for some reactions of free radicals with haloacetates in aqueous solution

The kinetics of the acqueous-phase reactions of the free radicals ·OH, ·Cl, and SO· with the halogenated acetates, CH₂FCOO^?, CHF₂COO^?, CF₃COO^?, and with CH₂ClCOO^?, CHCl₂COO^?, CCl₃COO^? were investigated. Generally, the reactivity decreases with increasing halogen substitution and is in the order k(·OH) > k(SO·) > k(·Cl), but there is no general relation between the effect on reactivity of chlorine and fluorine substitution. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reactivity of the C-H bond of organic molecules with various structures in hydrogen abstraction by peroxyl radicals

A model of an early transition state with charge transfer is proposed for calculation of the activation parameters of the abstraction of a hydrogen atom by peroxyl radicals from the molecules of organic compounds. It was shown that the compensation effect in this reaction is due to the fact that the change in the preexponential factor is determined by change in the vibrational component of the entropy of activation. L. M. Litvinenko Institute of Physical Chemistry and Coal Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Donetsk. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 6–11, January–February, 1997.     

Theoretical study on the reaction of CN radicals with ClO radicals by density functional theory

The reaction mechanism of CN radicals with ClO radicals has been studied theoretically using ab initio and density functional theory (DFT). The result shows that the main reaction path is the O atom in radical ClO attacks the C atom in radical CN to compose the intermediate 1 ClOCN. Three thermodynamically accessible prodncts, P₁ (CO+ClN), P₃ (NO+CCl), and P₄ (ClNCO), were obtained from intermediate 1 through isomerization and decomposition reactions. P₄ is the primary product, and P₁ and P₃ are the secondary product. Compared with the singlet potential energy surface, the contribution of the triplet potential energy surface can be ignored.     

Temperature dependence of the relative rate constants of the reactions of alkanes with oh radicals in aqueous solution

A study was carried out on the rate constant ratio (k _RH/k _EtH) in reactions of alkanes C₃H₈, n-C₄H₁₀, n-C₅H₁₂, n-C₆H₁₄, i-C₄H₁₀, c-C₅H₁₀, and c-C₆H₁₂ with OH radicals in water at 5-55°C and the relative activation parameters A _RH/A _EtH and E _EtH – E _RH. The values of E _EtH – E _RH in water and the gas phase have opposite signs. The values of k _RH/k _EtH decrease with increasing temperature in the gas phase but increase in water. The behavior of these reactions in water may be attributed to a solvent cage effect.     

Accurate vibrational spectra and magnetic properties of organic free radicals: the case of H2CN

We present the structural, magnetic, and vibrational properties of H2CN computed using a second-order perturbative approach in which equilibrium values and harmonic frequencies evaluated at the coupled-cluster level are combined with anharmonic and vibrational averaging contributions obtained by hybrid Hartree-Fock/Kohn-Sham methods. Our computations lead to remarkably accurate results and suggest some revision of the experimental vibrational assignments.     

Vibrationally selective radiative and non-radiative transitions in gaseous hydrogen molecules

An efficient vibrationally selective technique to build-up the v″=1 vibrational levels in gaseous hydrogen is demonstrated using stimulated Raman pumping (SRP). Both photo-acoustic Raman spectroscopy (PARS) and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) are used to study non-radiative and radiative (v″=0 and v″=1) transitions in gaseous H(2) molecules. The population fraction in the v″=1 vibrational level has been estimated using combined photo-acoustic and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy with stimulated Raman pumping.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis of neutral organic molecules in organic – aqueous solution

Very good separations of non-ionic organic compounds have been achieved by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) using a tetrahep-tylammonium salt as an additive in aqueous acetonitrile as solvent. A systematic study was undertaken to determine the effect of experimental parameters on electroosmotic mobility and electro-phoretic mobility. It was found that pH, acetonitrile concentration, and the type and concentration of quaternary ammonium salt are important experimental variables. Under appropriate conditions, the separation window was enlarged and a broad range of electrically neutral organics, including very hydrophobic compounds (e. g. poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and fairly hydrophilic compounds were separated in a relatively short time. By adjusting the separation conditions, high resolution CZE of a specific group of neutral organic compounds could be achieved. A method for calculation of capacity factor was proposed and capacity factors for a variety of non-lonic organic compounds were calculated.     

Coordination properties of (chloro)aluminum-5,15-diphenyloctaalkylporphyrin in the reactions with small organic molecules

The reactions of aluminum porphyrinate ((Cl)AIP) with organic molecules L (imidazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, and pyrazine) in benzene were studied using spectral and quantum-chemical methods. The structures and stabilities of the molecular complexes (Cl)Al(L) _n P in solutions were determined. The influence of the nature of the macrocyclic ligand and organic base on the coordination properties of aluminum porphyrinate was observed. The degree of deformation of the metalloporphyrin and its molecular complexes was estimated. A good correlation between the experimental and calculated characteristics     

The dynamics of the CH3CN molecule in the isotropic phase and in a nematic solution

NMR lineshape studies of acelonitrile in the isotropic and the liquid-crystalline nematic phase of PCH have been performed. The scalar relaxation of the second kind due to the presence of the ¹⁴N quadrupolar nucleus has been confirmed as the most important relaxation mechanism for this molecule in both the isotropic and the anisotropic phase. It has been found largely responsible for the selective broadening on ¹³C and ¹H transitions. A minor contribution arising from intramolecular dipolar relaxation mechanism has also been investigated. Linewidth analysis of the NMR spectra allowed us to determine the quadrupolar relaxation time T_IN of the ¹⁴N nucleus. This is connected to the correlation time for rotational diffusion perpendicular to the molecular symmetry axis. A possible explanation of a residual selective broadeining which effects the ¹³C and ¹H NMR transitions and is not taken into account by this mechanism, is also given.     

The dynamics of the CH3CN molecule in the isotropic phase and in a nematic solution

Abstract

NMR lineshape studies of acelonitrile in the isotropic and the liquid-crystalline nematic phase of PCH have been performed. The scalar relaxation of the second kind due to the presence of the ¹⁴N quadrupolar nucleus has been confirmed as the most important relaxation mechanism for this molecule in both the isotropic and the anisotropic phase. It has been found largely responsible for the selective broadening on ¹³C and ¹H transitions. A minor contribution arising from intramolecular dipolar relaxation mechanism has also been investigated. Linewidth analysis of the NMR spectra allowed us to determine the quadrupolar relaxation time T _IN of the ¹⁴N nucleus. This is connected to the correlation time for rotational diffusion perpendicular to the molecular symmetry axis. A possible explanation of a residual selective broadeining which effects the ¹³C and ¹H NMR transitions and is not taken into account by this mechanism, is also given.