Thermal decomposition mechanism of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ionic liquid

In order to better understand the volatilization process for ionic liquids, the vapor evolved from heating the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (EMIM(+)Br(-)) was analyzed via tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (VUV-PI-TOFMS) and thermogravimetric analysis mass spectrometry (TGA-MS). For this ionic liquid, the experimental results indicate that vaporization takes place via the evolution of alkyl bromides and alkylimidazoles, presumably through alkyl abstraction via an S(N)2 type mechanism, and that vaporization of intact ion pairs or the formation of carbenes is negligible. Activation enthalpies for the formation of the methyl and ethyl bromides were evaluated experimentally, ΔH(?)(CH(3)Br) = 116.1 ± 6.6 kJ/mol and ΔH(?)(CH(3)CH(2)Br) = 122.9 ± 7.2 kJ/mol, and the results are found to be in agreement with calculated values for the S(N)2 reactions. Comparisons of product photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves with literature data are in good agreement, and ab initio thermodynamics calculations are presented as further evidence for the proposed thermal decomposition mechanism. Estimates for the enthalpy of vaporization of EMIM(+)Br(-) and, by comparison, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (BMIM(+)Br(-)) from molecular dynamics calculations and their gas phase enthalpies of formation obtained by G4 calculations yield estimates for the ionic liquids' enthalpies of formation in the liquid phase: ΔH(vap)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = 168 ± 20 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?gas)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = 38.4 ± 10 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?liq)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = -130 ± 22 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?gas)(298 K) (BMIM(+)Br(-)) = -5.6 ± 10 kJ/mol, and ΔH(f,?liq)(298 K) (BMIM(+)Br(-)) = -180 ± 20 kJ/mol.     

A weight-function approach for determining watershed initial conditions for combustion waves

In many generic combustion models, one finds that a combustionwave will develop with a specific wave speed. However, thereare possible initial temperature profiles which do not evolveinto such waves, but rather die out to the ambient temperature.There can exist, in some models, a clear distinction betweenthose initial conditions that do evolve into combustion wavesand those that do not; this is sometimes referred to as thewatershed initial condition. When fuel consumption is consideredto be negligible, analytical methods can be used to obtain theexact watershed. In this paper, we consider the problem of determiningpseudo-watersheds and ascertaining the relationship betweenthese pseudo-watersheds and the exact watersheds. In the processa novel weight-function approach for infinite spatial domainsis developed.     

Energy dependence of the roaming atom pathway in formaldehyde decomposition

Recently, a new mechanism of formaldehyde decomposition leading to molecular products CO and H(2) has been discovered, termed the "roaming atom" mechanism. Formaldehyde decomposition from the ground state via the roaming atom mechanism leads to rotationally cold CO and vibrationally hot H(2), whereas formaldehyde decomposition through the conventional molecular channel leads to rotationally hot CO and vibrationally cold H(2). This discovery has shown that it is possible to have multiple pathways for a reaction leading to the same products with dramatically different product state distributions. Detailed investigations of the dynamics of these two pathways have been reported recently. This paper focuses on an investigation of the energy dependence of the roaming atom mechanism up to 1500 cm(-1) above the threshold of the radical channel, H(2)CO-->H+HCO. The influence of excitation energy on the roaming atom and molecular elimination pathways is reported, and the branching fraction between the roaming atom channel and molecular channel is obtained using high-resolution dc slice imaging and photofragment excitation spectroscopy. From the branching fractions and the reaction rates of the radical channel, the overall competition between all three dissociation channels is estimated. These results are compared with recent quasiclassical trajectory calculations on a global H(2)CO potential energy surface.     

Synthesis of cytotoxic cyanobactin,Wewakazole B

We report herein the synthesis of cytotoxic cyanobactin, Wewakazole B through an efficient solution-phase approach. The key steps of the synthesis are the macrocyclic lactamization of linear dodecapeptide and construction of two hexapeptides with three different substituted oxazole rings.     

Thermal decomposition of 1,5-dinitrobiuret (DNB): direct dynamics trajectory simulations and statistical modeling

A large set of quasi-classical, direct dynamics trajectory simulations were performed for decomposition of 1,5-dinitrobiuret (DNB) over a temperature range from 4000 to 6000 K, aimed at providing insight into DNB decomposition mechanisms. The trajectories revealed various decomposition paths and reproduced the products (including HNCO, N(2)O, NO(2), NO, and water) observed in DNB pyrolysis experiments. Using trajectory results as a guide, structures of intermediate complexes and transition states that might be important for decomposition were determined using density functional theory calculations. Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory was then utilized to examine behaviors of the energized reactant and intermediates and to determine unimolecular rates for crossing various transition states. According to RRKM predictions, the dominant initial decomposition path of energized DNB corresponds to elimination of HNNO(2)H via a concerted mechanism where the molecular decomposition is accompanied with intramolecular H-atom transfer from the central nitrogen to the terminal nitro oxygen. Other important paths correspond to elimination of NO(2) and H(2)NNO(2). NO(2) elimination is a simple N-N bond scission process. Formation and elimination of nitramide is, however, dynamically complicated, requiring twisting a -NHNO(2) group out of the molecular plane, followed by an intramolecular reaction to form nitramide before its elimination. These two paths become significant at temperatures above 1500 K, accounting for >17% of DNB decomposition at 2000 K. This work demonstrates that quasi-classical trajectory simulations, in conjunction with electronic structure and RRKM calculations, are able to extract mechanisms, kinetics, dynamics and product branching ratios for the decomposition of complex energetic molecules and to predict how they vary with decomposition temperature.     

Correlated v(H(2) ) and j(CO) product states from formaldehyde photodissociation: dynamics of molecular elimination

A detailed study of the photoinduced molecular elimination pathway of formaldehyde on the ground state surface was carried out using high-resolution dc slice ion imaging. Detailed correlated H(2) rovibrational and CO rotational product quantum state distributions were measured by imaging spectroscopically selected CO velocity distributions following photodissociation at energies from approximately 1800 to approximately 4100 cm(-1) above the barrier to molecular elimination. Excitation to the 2(1)4(1), 2(1)4(3), 2(2)4(1), 2(2)4(3), and 2(3)4(1) bands of H(2)CO are reported here. The dependence of the product rovibrational distributions on excitation energy are discussed in light of a dynamical model which has been formulated to describe the strong product state correlations observed.     

Soft ionization of thermally evaporated hypergolic ionic liquid aerosols

Isolated ion pairs of a conventional ionic liquid, 1-Ethyl-3-Methyl-Imidazolium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Emim(+)][Tf(2)N(-)]), and a reactive hypergolic ionic liquid, 1-Butyl-3-Methyl-Imidazolium Dicyanamide ([Bmim(+)][Dca(-)]), are generated by vaporizing ionic liquid submicrometer aerosol particles for the first time; the vaporized species are investigated by dissociative ionization with tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light, exhibiting clear intact cations, Emim(+) and Bmim(+), presumably originating from intact ion pairs. Mass spectra of ion pair vapor from an effusive source of the hypergolic ionic liquid show substantial reactive decomposition due to the internal energy of the molecules emanating from the source. Photoionization efficiency curves in the near threshold ionization region of isolated ion pairs of [Emim(+)][Tf(2)N(-)] ionic liquid vapor are compared for an aerosol source and an effusive source, revealing changes in the appearance energy due to the amount of internal energy in the ion pairs. The aerosol source has a shift to higher threshold energy (～0.3 eV), attributed to reduced internal energy of the isolated ion pairs. The method of ionic liquid submicrometer aerosol particle vaporization, for reactive ionic liquids such as hypergolic species, is a convenient, thermally "cooler" source of isolated intact ion pairs in the gas phase compared to effusive sources.     

Mechanistic studies of the pyrolysis of 1,3-butadiene, 1,3-butadiene-1,1,4,4-d4, 1,2-butadiene, and 2-butyne by supersonic jet/photoionization mass spectrometry

The thermal decomposition of 1,3-butadiene, 1,3-butadiene-1,1,4,4-d(4), 1,2-butadiene, and 2-butyne at temperatures up to 1520 K was carried out by flash pyrolysis on a approximately 20 mus time scale. The reaction products were isolated by supersonic expansion and detected by single-photon (lambda = 118 nm) vacuum-ultraviolet time-of-flight mass spectrometry (VUV-TOFMS). Direct detection of CH(3) and C(3)H(3), as well as C(3)H(4), C(4)H(4), and C(4)H(5) products, provides insight into the initial steps involved in the complex pyrolysis of these C(4)H(6) species below T = 1500 K. The similar pyrolysis product distributions for the C(4)H(6) isomers on such a short time scale support the previously proposed mechanism of facile isomerization of these species. Isomerization of 1,3-butadiene to 1,2-butadiene and subsequent C-C bond fission of 1,2-butadiene to produce CH(3) and C(3)H(3) (propargyl) are most likely the primary initial radical production channel in the 1,3-butadiene pyrolysis.     

Fourier transform infrared studies in hypergolic ignition of ionic liquids

A class of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) that exhibit hypergolic activity toward fuming nitric acid is reported. Fast ignition of dicyanamide ionic liquids when mixed with nitric acid is contrasted with the reactivity of the ionic liquid azides, which show high reactivity with nitric acid, but do not ignite. The reactivity of other potential salt fuels is assessed here. Rapid-scan, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the preignition phase indicates the evolution of N 2O from both the dicyanamide and azide RTILs. Evidence for the evolution of CO 2 and isocyanic acid (HNCO) with similar temporal behavior to N 2O from reaction of the dicyanamide ionic liquids with nitric acid is presented. Evolution of HN 3 is detected from the azides. No evolution of HCN from the dicyanamide reactions was detected. From the FTIR observations, biuret reaction tests, and initial ab initio calculations, a mechanism is proposed for the formation of N 2O, CO 2, and HNCO from the dicyanamide reactions during preignition.