Theoretical study of the dehydrogenate reaction of H2S by Sc+(1D)

The reaction Sc⁺(¹D)+H₂S→Sc⁺S+H₂ is theoretically investigated by ab initio MO methods. Two possible reaction channels on the singlet potential surface (PES) and the reaction mechanism are examined and discussed. Three regions of the potential surface were studied, the molecular complex, the S‐H insertion products and the transition states for the reaction. In addition the singlet and triplet PESs of this reaction system are compared in an investigation the chemistry of excited electronic state. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 82: 60–64, 2001     

An Argon–Oxygen Covalent Bond in the ArOH+ Molecular Ion

The OH⁺ cation is a well‐known diatomic for which the triplet (³Σ^?) ground state is 50.5 kcal mol^?1 more stable than its corresponding singlet (¹Δ) excited state. However, the singlet forms a strong donor–acceptor bond to argon with a bond energy of 66.4 kcal mol^?1 at the CCSDT(Q)/CBS level, making the singlet ArOH⁺ cation 3.9 kcal mol^?1 more stable than the lowest energy triplet complex. Both singlet and triplet isomers of this molecular ion were prepared in a cold molecular beam using different ion sources. Infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in combination with messenger atom tagging shows that the two spin isomers exhibit completely different spectral signatures. The ground state of ArOH⁺ is the predicted singlet with a covalent Ar?O bond.     

Evidence for long-lived excited states of [CnH2]2+ carbodications

The energetics, structures, stabilities and reactivities of[C_nH₂]²⁺ ions have been investigated using computational methods and experimental mass spectrometric techniques. Spontaneous decompositions of [C_nH₂]²⁺ into [C_nH]⁺ + H⁺ products, observed for ions with odd-n values, have been explained by invoking the formation of excited triplet states. Even-n [C_nH]⁺ ions possess triplet ground states with low-lying excited states, whereas odd-n ions have triplet states with energies several eV above ground singlet states. Radiationless transitions of vibrationally excited long-lived triplet state ions into singlet state continua are suggested as possible mechanisms for spontaneous deprotonation processes of odd-n [C_nH₂]²⁺ ions. Evidence for these long-lived excited states has been obtained in bimolecular single electron transfer reactions.     

Ligand Effects on the Mechanisms of Thermal Bond Activation in the Gas‐Phase Reactions NiX+/CH4→Ni(CH3)+/HX (X=H,CH3, OH,F). Short Communication

The thermal ion‐molecule reactions NiX⁺+CH₄→Ni(CH₃)⁺+HX (X=H, CH₃, OH, F) have been studied by mass spectrometric methods, and the experimental data are complemented by density functional theory (DFT)‐based computations. With regard to mechanistic aspects, a rather coherent picture emerges such that, for none of the systems studied, oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathways are involved. Rather, the energetically most favored variant corresponds to a σ‐complex‐assisted metathesis (σ‐CAM). For X=H and CH₃, the ligand exchange follows a ‘two‐state reactivity (TSR)’ scenario such that, in the course of the thermal reaction, a twofold spin inversion, i.e., triplet→singlet→triplet, is involved. This TSR feature bypasses the energetically high‐lying transition state of the adiabatic ground‐state triplet surface. In contrast, for X=F, the exothermic ligand exchange proceeds adiabatically on the triplet ground state, and some arguments are proposed to account for the different behavior of NiX⁺/Ni(CH₃)⁺ (X=H, CH₃) vs. NiF⁺. While the couple Ni(OH)⁺/CH₄ does not undergo a thermal ligand switch, the DFT computations suggest a potential‐energy surface that is mechanistically comparable to the NiF⁺/CH₄ system. Obviously, the ligands X act as a mechanistic distributor to switch between single vs. two‐state reactivity patterns.     

Potential energy surfaces for OsH2

Summary We compute the potential energy surfaces of 12 electronic states of OsH₂ (four quintet, four triplet, and four singlet) arising from⁵ D ground state of the Os atom as well as triplet and singlet excited states using the complete active space multiconfiguration self-consistent field (CAS-MCSCF) followed by multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) and relativistic CI (RCI) calculation which include up to 430,000 configurations. We find that the⁵ D ground state of Os atom does not insert into H₂ while the excited³ F state of Os does. The³ B ₁ ground state of OsH₂ (there are two other nearly degenerate states) in the absence of spin-orbit coupling was found to be 22 kcal/mol more stable than Os(⁵ D)+H₂. The spin-orbit mixing of³ B ₁,³ B ₂,³ A ₂, and¹ A ₁ states was so strong that it induces significant change in bond angles (up to 10°) for OsH₂.Dedicated to Prof. Klaus RuedenbergCamille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar     

Unravelling the Reaction Mechanism for the Fast Photocyclisation of 2‐Benzoylpyridine in Aqueous Solvent by Time‐Resolved Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculations

A combined femtosecond transient absorption (fs‐TA) and nanosecond time‐resolved resonance Raman (ns‐TR³) spectroscopic investigation of the photoreaction of 2‐benzoylpyridine (2‐BPy) in acetonitrile and neutral, basic and acidic aqueous solvents is reported. fs‐TA results showed that the nπ* triplet 2‐BPy is the precursor of the photocyclisation reaction in neutral and basic aqueous solvents. The cis triplet biradical and the cis singlet zwitterionic species produced during the photocyclisation reaction were initially characterised by ns‐TR³ spectroscopy. In addition, a new species was uniquely observed in basic aqueous solvent after the decay of the cis singlet zwitterionic species and this new species was tentatively assigned to the photocyclised radical anion. The ground‐state conformation of 2‐BPy in acidic aqueous solvent is the pyridine nitrogen‐protonated 2‐BPy cation (2‐BPy‐NH⁺) rather than the neutral form of 2‐BPy. After laser photolysis, the singlet excited state (S₁) of 2‐BPy‐NH⁺ is generated and evolves through excited‐state proton transfer (ESPT) and efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) processes to the triplet exited state (T₁) of the carbonyl oxygen‐protonated 2‐BPy cation (2‐BPy‐OH⁺) and then photocyclises with the lone pair of the nitrogen atom in the heterocyclic ring. Cyclisation reactions take place both in neutral/basic and acidic aqueous solvents, but the photocyclisation mechanisms in these different aqueous solvents are very different. This is likely due to the different conformation of the precursor and the influence of hydrogen‐bonding of the solvent on the reactions.     

Theoretical Study on the Mechanism of the Gas-phase Reaction of Sc＋ with Propargyl Alcohol

In order to elucidate the reaction mechanisms of reaction Sc^＋ with propargyl alcohol (PPA), the triplet potential energy surface for the reactions has been theoretically investigated using a DFT method. The geometries for the reactants, intermediates, transition states and products were completely optimized at B3LYP/DZVP level. The single point energy of each stationary point was calculated at MP4/(6-311＋G** for C, H, O and Lanl2dz for Sc^＋) level. All the transition states were verified by the vibrational analysis and the internal reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations. The present results show that the reaction takes an insertion-elimination mechanism both along the O—H and C—O bond activation branches, but the C—O bond activation is much more favorable in energy than the O—H bond activation. All theoretical results not only support the existing conclusions inferred from early experiment, but also complement the pathway and mechanism for this reaction.     

High-level ab initio calculations on CH+2(2A1) + PO(2II) reactions

We present ab initio calculations carried out in the framework of the G 2 theory on the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces corresponding to the gas-phase between CH⁺₂ and PO. The global minimum of both potential energy surfaces is a cyclic singlet-state cation. Oxygen attachment of PO to CH⁺₂ in a triplet configuration is accompanied by a P(SINGLEBOND)O bond fission, with the result that the corresponding global minimum is an ion-dipole complex between P⁺(³P) and formaldehyde. This is also consistent with the fact that our results predict the formation of formaldehyde to be highly exothermic, either as a neutral or as radical cation. Both charge-transfer processes yielding CH₂(³B₁) or CH₂(¹A₁) are also exothermic. The formation of other carbon and oxygen containing species are endothermic. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Experiment and Theory Clarify: Sc+ Receives One Oxygen Atom from SO2 to Form ScO+, which Proves to be a Catalyst for the Hidden Oxygen-Exchange with SO2

Using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, it was experimentally determined that Sc⁺ in the highly diluted gas phase reacts with SO₂ to form ScO⁺ and SO. By ¹⁸O labeling, ScO⁺ was shown to play the role of a catalyst when further reacting with SO₂ in a Mars-van Krevelen-like (MvK) oxygen exchange process, where a solid catalyst actively reacts with the substrate but emerges apparently unchanged at the end of the cycle. High-level quantum chemical calculations confirmed that the multi-step process to form ScO⁺ and SO is exoergic and that all intermediates and transition states in between are located energetically below the entrance level. The reaction starts from the triplet surface; although three spin-crossing points with minimal energy have been identified by computational means, there is no evidence that a two-state scenario is involved in the course of the reaction, by which the reactants could switch from the triplet to the singlet surface and back. Pivotal to the oxygen exchange reaction of ScO⁺ with SO₂ is the occurrence of a highly symmetric four-membered cyclic intermediate by which two oxygen atoms become equivalent.     

Theoretical investigation on the reaction of HS+ with CH3NH2

The singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces for the reaction of HS⁺ with the simplest primary amine, CH₃NH₂, were determined at the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(d,p) level using the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and QCISD/6-311G(d,p) geometries. All possible reaction channels were explored. The results show that three paths on the singlet potential energy surface and one path on the triplet potential energy surface are competitive. These four feasible paths provide products which are presented in the paper and they are consistent with previous experimental results. On the other hand, the stationary points involved in the most favourable path all lie below those of the reactant and thus the title reaction is expected to be rapid, which is also consistent with the experiment.     

ELECTRON TRANSFER FROM PHOTOEXCITED SINGLET AND TRIPLET BACTERIOPHEOPHYTIN—II. THEORETICAL

Abstract— A previous paper showed that collision of the first excited singlet state of bacteriopheophytin (Bph*) and p-benzoquinone (Q) returns Bph* to the ground state; however, excited triplet (Bph⁺) and quinone on collision produce the radical ions, (Bph⁺) and (Q^?). This paer rationalizes these findings by first estimating the half cell potentials Bph⁺/Bph* and Bph⁺/Bph^T, the energy for the various collision complexes, and the energy of the charge separated ions Bph⁺+ Q? and then estimating the rates for conversion among these various states. Thus it is estimated that the complexes [Bph*Q] or [Bph^TQ], live ?5 ps before dissociating. This is long enough for electron transfer to occur, producing the singlet and triplet charge transfer complexes, [Bph⁺Q?]^S or [Bph⁺Q?]^T, either of which could separate to Bph⁺+ Q? in ?230ps. In the singlet case, quenching by reverse charge transfer [Bph⁺Q?]^S→[Bph Q] occurs more rapidly than ion separation; however, the analogous triplet process, [Bph⁺Q?]^T→ [Bph Q], is spin forbidden, so that ion separation competes successfully with quenching. Spin scrambling, [Bph⁺Q?]^S? [Bph⁺Q?]^T, is estimated to be slow, as this explanation requires. In the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center, the initial electron transfer from an excited singlet state of the bacteriochlorophyll dimer complex (BB)* to bacteriopheophytin, giving [(BB⁺)(Bph?)]^S, successfully leads to ion separated species (i) because reverse charge transfer [(BB⁺)(Bph?)]^S→ [(BB)(Bph)] is slowed by a fairly large Franck-Condon energy, ΔE? lev, which is difficult to convert from electronic to vibrational degrees of freedom and (ii) because of the rapid subsequent electron transfer from (Bph⁺) to another acceptor X.     

Theoretical study on the gas‐phase reaction mechanism between nickel monoxide and methane for syngas production

The comprehensive mechanism survey on the gas‐phase reaction between nickel monoxide and methane for the formation of syngas, formaldehyde, methanol, water, and methyl radical has been investigated on the triplet and singlet state potential energy surfaces at the B3LYP/6‐311++G(3df, 3pd)//B3LYP/6‐311+G(2d, 2p) levels. The computation reveals that the singlet intermediate HNiOCH₃ is crucial for the syngas formation, whereas two kinds of important reaction intermediates, CH₃NiOH and HNiOCH₃, locate on the deep well, while CH₃NiOH is more energetically favorable than HNiOCH₃ on both the triplet and singlet states. The main products shall be syngas once HNiOCH₃ is created on the singlet state, whereas the main products shall be methyl radical if CH₃NiOH is formed on both singlet and triplet states. For the formation of syngas, the minimal energy reaction pathway (MERP) is more energetically preferable to start on the lowest excited singlet state other than on the ground triplet state. Among the MERP for the formation of syngas, the rate‐determining step (RDS) is the reaction step for the singlet intermediate HNiOCH₃ formation involving an oxidative addition of NiO molecule into the C? H bond of methane, with an energy barrier of 120.3 kJ mol^?1. The syngas formation would be more effective under higher temperature and photolysis reaction condition. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009     

Reaction of SC+(1D,3D) with H2O, NH3, and CH4: a density functional study.

Density Functional Theory has been used to explore quantitative details of the potential energy hypersurface for the insertion reaction of scandium ion into the O-H, N-H, and C-H bond of water, ammonia, and methane molecules leading to H2 elimination. Both singlet and triplet state channels have been considered. On the basis of the obtained results, it is possible to conclude that for the molecules considered the reaction is a spin-forbidden process. Indeed, it starts in the triplet ground state and ends in the singlet state, the change of the spin state probably occurring immediately after the formation of the electrostatic complex intermediate.     

C-Br Bond Dissociation Mechanisms of 2-Bromothiophene and 3-Bromothiophene at 267 nm

C-Br bond dissociation mechanisms of 2-bromothiophene and 3-bromothiophene at 267 nm were investigated using ion velocity imaging technique. Translational energy distributions and angular distributions of the photoproducts, Br(²P_3/2) and Br^*(²P_½), were obtained and the possible dissociation channels were analyzed. For these two bromothiophenes, the Br fragments were produced via three channels: (i) the fast predissociation following the intersystem crossing from the excited singlet state to repulsive triplet state; (ii) the hot dissociation on highly vibrational ground state following the internal conversion of the excited singlet state; and (iii) the dissociation following the multiphoton ionization of the parent molecules. Similar channels are involved for photoproduct Br^* of the 2-bromothiophene dissociation at 267 nm; whereas for the photoproduct Br^* of 3-bromothiophene, the dissociation channel via internal conversion from the excited singlet state to highly vibrational ground state became dominating and the fast predissociation channel via the excited triplet state almost disappeared. Informations about the relative contribution, energy disposal, and the anisotropy of each channel were quantitatively given. It was found that with the position of Br atom in thienyl being far from S atom, the relative ratios of products from channels (i) and (ii) decreased obviously and the anisotropies corresponding to each channel became weaker.     

Pseudorotational dynamics of H3+ and Li3+

The origin of the pseudoprecession phenomenon is investigated through a computational study of the time evolution of H₃⁺ and Li₃⁺ by electron nuclear dynamics theory. In particular, the pseudorotation of both molecules is shown to induce a spatial rotation, which in turn leads to Coriolis coupling of the two orthogonal nuclear shape deformation modes. This effect is rooted in an anisotropy of the molecular ground state potential energy surface that is caused by the interaction between the D_3h ground state and a twofold degenerate first excited state. Computations are performed for a variety of vibrational energies. In addition, the impact of the anharmonicity of the ground state potential surface on the shape deformation modes and the coupling between them is discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001     

Ab initio study on the reaction of Y+ + NH3 → Y+ NH + H2

The reaction of Y⁺ + NH₃ → Y⁺ NH + H₂ was theoretically investigated by ab initio MO methods. Two possible pathways (1–1 H₂ loss and 1–2 H₂ loss) on the singlet potential energy surface and reaction mechanism were examined and discussed. The singlet and triplet PESs of this reaction system were compared to confirm the correctness of spin conservation concepts. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Vertical proton affinities of CH2O and CH2OH+ in their ground singlet,excited triplet and ionized doublet states

Vertical proton affinities were calculated with closed and open shell direct SCF-MO methods for the ground, excited triplet and ionized doublet states of CH₂O and CH₂OH⁺.The computed gas phase basicity of CH₂O follows the order: CH₂O(¹ A ₁) > CH₂O*(³ A ₁ or ³ A ₂) > CH₂O⁺(² B ₂ or ² B ₁).     

Ab initio study of the insertion reactions of Sc+(1D) with HF,HCl, H2O,H2S,NH3, PH3, CH4, and SiH4

The mechanism of scandium cation Sc⁺(¹D) insertion into HF, HCl, H₂O, H₂S, NH₃, PH₃, CH₄, and SiH₄ has been investigated by ab initio molecular theory. All these reactions involve the initial formation of intermediate complexes followed by an H‐atom migration process via a transition state to insertion products. The Sc⁺(¹D) insertion into eight compound reactions indicate that (i) the reaction with hydride of the right‐hand group is more exothermic than that of the left‐hand group and has a lower barrier, and (ii) the reaction with the second‐row hydride has a lower overall barrier and is less exothermic than with the first‐row hydride. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Ab initio quantum chemical studies of the reactions of CF3CFHO2 with HO2

The potential energy surface (PES) for the CF₃CFHO₂+HO₂ reaction has been theoretically investigated using the DFT [B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p)] and B3LYP/6‐311++G(3df,3pd)//B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) levels of theory. Both singlet and triplet PESs are investigated. The reaction mechanism on the triplet surface is simple. It is revealed that the formation of CF₃CFHOOH+³O₂ is the dominant channel on the triplet surface. On the basis of the ab initio data, the total rate constants for the reaction CF₃CFHO₂+HO₂ in the T = 210–500 K range have been computed using conventional transition state theory with Wigner's tunneling correction and have been fitted by a rate constant expression as k = 1.04 ×10^?12(cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) exp (700.33/T). Calculated transition state rate constants with Wigner's tunneling correction for the reaction CF₃CFHO₂+HO₂ are in good agreement with the available experimental values. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007