Theoretical study of the complex-forming CH + H2 --> CH2 + H reaction

The complex-forming CH + H2 --> CH2 + H reaction is studied employing a recently developed global potential energy function. The reaction probability in the total angular momentum J = 0 limit is estimated with a four-atom quantum wave packet method and compared with classical trajectory and statistical theory results. The formation of complexes from different reactant internal states is also determined with wave packet calculations. While there is no barrier to reaction along the minimum energy path, we find that there are angular constraints to complex formation. Trajectory-based estimates of the low-pressure rate constants are made and compared with experimental results. We find that zero-point energy violation in the trajectories is a particularly severe problem for this reaction.     

Crossed beams study of the reaction 1CH2+C2H2-->C3H3+H

The reaction of electronically excited singlet methylene (1CH2) with acetylene (C2H2) was studied using the method of crossed molecular beams at a mean collision energy of 3.0 kcal/mol. The angular and velocity distributions of the propargyl radical (C3H3) products were measured using single photon ionization (9.6 eV) at the advanced light source. The measured distributions indicate that the mechanism involves formation of a long-lived C3H4 complex followed by simple C-H bond fission producing C3H3+H. This work, which is the first crossed beams study of a reaction involving an electronically excited polyatomic molecule, demonstrates the feasibility of crossed molecular beam studies of reactions involving 1CH2.     

Computational study of the ion-molecule reactions involving fluxional cations: CH4+ + H2--> CH5+ + H and isotope effect

Potential energy surfaces for the reactions of CH4+ with H2, HD, and D2 have been calculated using high-level ab initio methods, including coupled cluster theory, complete active space self-consistent field, and multireference configuration interaction. The energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set limit using the basis sets aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D, T, Q, 5, 6). The CH4+ + H2 reaction produces CH5+ and H exclusively. Three types of reaction mechanisms have been found, namely, complex-forming abstraction, scrambling, and S(N)2 displacement. The abstraction occurs via a very minor barrier and it is dominant. The other two mechanisms are negligible because of the significant barriers involved. Quantum phase space theory and variational transition state theory are used to calculate the rate coefficients as a function of temperatures in the range of 5-1000 K. The theoretical rate coefficients are compared with the available experimental data and the discrepancy is discussed. The significance of isotope effect, tunneling effect, and nuclear spin effect is investigated. The title reaction is predicted to be slightly exothermic with DeltaHr = -12.7 +/- 5.2 kJ/mol at 0 K.     

Ab initio and direct quasiclassical-trajectory study of the F+CH4-->HF+CH3 reaction

We present an electronic structure and dynamics study of the F+CH4-->HF+CH3 reaction. CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ geometry optimizations, harmonic-frequency, and energy calculations indicate that the potential-energy surface is remarkably isotropic near the transition state. In addition, while the saddle-point F-H-C angle is 180 degrees using MP2 methods, CCSD(T) geometry optimizations predict a bent transition state, with a 153 degrees F-H-C angle. We use these high-quality ab initio data to reparametrize the parameter-model 3 (PM3) semiempirical Hamiltonian so that calculations with the improved Hamiltonian and employing restricted open-shell wave functions agree with the higher accuracy data. Using this specific-reaction-parameter PM3 semiempirical Hamiltonian (SRP-PM3), we investigate the reaction dynamics by propagating quasiclassical trajectories. The results of our calculations using the SRP-PM3 Hamiltonian are compared with experiments and with the estimates of two recently reported potential-energy surfaces. The trajectory calculations using the SRP-PM3 Hamiltonian reproduce quantitatively the measured HF vibrational distributions. The calculations also agree with the experimental HF rotational distributions and capture the essential features of the excitation function. The results of the SRP semiempirical Hamiltonian developed here clearly improve over those using the two prior potential-energy surfaces and suggest that reparametrization of semiempirical Hamiltonians is a promising strategy to develop accurate potential-energy surfaces for reaction dynamics studies of polyatomic systems.     

Direct dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reaction CH2O + HO2 --> CHO + H2O2

We present a direct ab initio dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reaction CH2O + HO2 --> CHO + H2O2, which is predicted to have four possible reaction channels caused by different attacking orientations of HO2 radical to CH2O. The structures and frequencies at the stationary points and the points along the minimum energy paths (MEPs) of the four reaction channels are calculated at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Energetic information of stationary points and the points along the MEPs is further refined by means of some single-point multilevel energy calculations (HL). The rate constants of these channels are calculated using the improved canonical variational transition-state theory with the small-curvature tunneling correction (ICVT/SCT) method. The calculated results show that, in the whole temperature range, the more favorable reaction channels are Channels 1 and 3. The total ICVT/SCT rate constants of the four channels at the HL//B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory are in good agreement with the available experiment data over the measured temperature ranges, and the corresponding three-parameter expression is k(ICVT/SCT) = 3.13 x 10(-20) T(2.70) exp(-11.52/RT) cm3 mole(-1) s(-1) in the temperature range of 250-3000 K. Additionally, the flexibility of the dihedral angle of H2O2 is also discussed to explain the different experimental values.     

Accurate potential energy surface and quantum reaction rate calculations for the H+CH4-->H2+CH3 reaction

Calculations for the cumulative reaction probability N(E) (for J=0) and the thermal rate constant k(T) of the H+CH(4)-->H(2)+CH(3) reaction are presented. Accurate electronic structure calculations and a converged Shepard-interpolation approach are used to construct a potential energy surface which is specifically designed to allow the precise calculation of k(T) and N(E). Accurate quantum dynamics calculations employing flux correlation functions and multiconfigurational time-dependent Hartree wave packet propagation compute N(E) and k(T) based on this potential energy surface. The present work describes in detail the various convergence test performed to investigate the accuracy of the calculations at each step. These tests demonstrate the predictive power of the present calculations. In addition, approximate approaches for reaction rate calculations are discussed. A quite accurate approximation can be obtained from a potential energy surface which includes only interpolation points on the minimum energy path.     

High-temperature rate constants for CH3OH + Kr --> products, OH + CH3OH --> products, OH + (CH3)(2)CO --> CH2COCH3 + H2O, and OH + CH3 --> CH) + H2O

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection of OH radicals at 308 nm (corresponding to a total path length of approximately 4.9 m) has been used to study the dissociation of methanol between 1591 and 2865 K. Rate constants for two product channels [CH3OH + Kr --> CH3 + OH + Kr (1) and CH3OH + Kr --> 1CH2 + H2O + Kr (2)] were determined. During the course of the study, it was necessary to determine several other rate constants that contributed to the profile fits. These include OH + CH3OH --> products, OH + (CH3)2CO --> CH2COCH3 + H2O, and OH + CH3 --> 1,3CH2 + H2O. The derived expressions, in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), are k(1) = 9.33 x 10(-9) exp(-30857 K/T) for 1591-2287 K, k(2) = 3.27 x 10(-10) exp(-25946 K/T) for 1734-2287 K, kOH+CH3OH = 2.96 x 10-16T1.4434 exp(-57 K/T) for 210-1710 K, k(OH+(CH3)(2)CO) = (7.3 +/- 0.7) x 10(-12) for 1178-1299 K and k(OH+CH3) = (1.3 +/- 0.2) x 10(-11) for 1000-1200 K. With these values along with other well-established rate constants, a mechanism was used to obtain profile fits that agreed with experiment to within <+/-10%. The values obtained for reactions 1 and 2 are compared with earlier determinations and also with new theoretical calculations that are presented in the preceding article in this issue. These new calculations are in good agreement with the present data for both (1) and (2) and also for OH + CH3 --> products.     

Quantum dynamics study of H+NH3-->H2+NH2 reaction

We report in this paper a quantum dynamics study for the reaction H+NH3-->NH2+H2 on the potential energy surface of Corchado and Espinosa-Garcia [J. Chem. Phys. 106, 4013 (1997)]. The quantum dynamics calculation employs the semirigid vibrating rotor target model [J. Z. H. Zhang, J. Chem. Phys. 111, 3929 (1999)] and time-dependent wave packet method to propagate the wave function. Initial state-specific reaction probabilities are obtained, and an energy correction scheme is employed to account for zero point energy changes for the neglected degrees of freedom in the dynamics treatment. Tunneling effect is observed in the energy dependency of reaction probability, similar to those found in H+CH4 reaction. The influence of rovibrational excitation on reaction probability and stereodynamical effect are investigated. Reaction rate constants from the initial ground state are calculated and are compared to those from the transition state theory and experimental measurement.     

Seven-dimensional quantum dynamics study of the H+NH3-->H2+NH2 reaction

Initial state-selected time-dependent wave packet dynamics calculations have been performed for the H+NH3-->H2+NH2 reaction using a seven-dimensional model and an analytical potential energy surface based on the one developed by Corchado and Espinosa-Garcia [J. Chem. Phys. 106, 4013 (1997)]. The model assumes that the two spectator NH bonds are fixed at their equilibrium values. The total reaction probabilities are calculated for the initial ground and seven excited states of NH3 with total angular momentum J=0. The converged cross sections for the reaction are also reported for these initial states. Thermal rate constants are calculated for the temperature range 200-2000 K and compared with transition state theory results and the available experimental data. The study shows that (a) the total reaction probabilities are overall very small, (b) the symmetric and asymmetric NH stretch excitations enhance the reaction significantly and almost all of the excited energy deposited was used to reduce the reaction threshold, (c) the excitation of the umbrella and bending motion have a smaller contribution to the enhancement of reactivity, (d) the main contribution to the thermal rate constants is thought to come from the ground state at low temperatures and from the stretch excited states at high temperatures, and (e) the calculated thermal rate constants are three to ten times smaller than the experimental data and transition state theory results.     

State-to-state dynamics of the Cl + CH3OH --> HCl + CH2OH reaction

Molecular chlorine, methanol, and helium are co-expanded into a vacuum chamber using a custom designed "late-mixing" nozzle. The title reaction is initiated by photolysis of Cl2 at 355 nm, which generates monoenergetic Cl atoms that react with CH3OH at a collision energy of 1960 +/- 170 cm(-1) (0.24 +/- 0.02 eV). Rovibrational state distributions of the nascent HCl products are obtained via 2 + 1 resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization, center-of-mass scattering distributions are measured by the core-extraction technique, and the average internal energy of the CH3OH co-products is deduced by measuring the spatial anisotropy of the HCl products. The majority (84 +/- 7%) of the HCl reaction products are formed in HCl(v = 0) with an average rotational energy of [Erot] = 390 +/- 70 cm(-1). The remaining 16 +/- 7% are formed in HCl(v = 1) and have an average rotational energy of [Erot] = 190 +/- 30 cm(-1). The HCl(v = 1) products are primarily forward scattered, and they are formed in coincidence with CH2OH products that have little internal energy. In contrast, the HCl(v = 0) products are formed in coincidence with CH2OH products that have significant internal energy. These results indicate that two or more different mechanisms are responsible for the dynamics in the Cl + CH3OH reaction. We suggest that (1) the HCl(v = 1) products are formed primarily from collisions at high impact parameter via a stripping mechanism in which the CH2OH co-products act as spectators, and (2) the HCl(v = 0) products are formed from collisions over a wide range of impact parameters, resulting in both a stripping mechanism and a rebound mechanism in which the CH2OH co-products are active participants. In all cases, the reaction of fast Cl atoms with CH3OH is with the hydrogen atoms on the methyl group, not the hydrogen on the hydroxyl group.     

Seven dimensional quantum dynamics study of the H2+NH2-->H+NH3 reaction

Initial state-selected time-dependent wave packet dynamics calculations have been performed for the H2+NH2-->H+NH3 reaction using a seven dimensional model on an analytical potential energy surface based on the one developed by Corchado and Espinosa-Garcia [J. Chem. Phys. 106, 4013 (1997)]. The model assumes that the two spectator NH bonds are fixed at their equilibrium values and nonreactive NH2 group keeps C2v symmetry and the rotation-vibration coupling in NH2 is neglected. The total reaction probabilities are calculated when the two reactants are initially at their ground states, when the NH2 bending mode is excited, and when H2 is on its first vibrational excited state, with total angular momentum J=0. The converged cross sections for the reaction are also reported for these initial states. Thermal rate constants and equilibrium constants are calculated for the temperature range of 200-2000 K and compared with transition state theory results and the available experimental data. The study shows that (a) the reaction is dominated by ground-state reactivity and the main contribution to the thermal rate constants is thought to come from this state, (b) the excitation energy of H2 was used to enhance reactivity while the excitation of the NH2 bending mode hampers the reaction, (c) the calculated thermal rate constants are very close to the experimental data and transition state theory results at high and middle temperature, while they are ten times higher than that of transition state theory at low temperature (T=200 K), and (d) the equilibrium constants results indicate that the approximations applied may have different roles in the forward and reverse reactions.     

Reduced dimensionality quantum scattering calculations on the F + CH(4) --> FH + CH(3) reaction

The existence of recently observed scattering resonances in the hydrogen abstraction reaction F + CH4 --> FH + CH3 was investigated using the reduced dimensionality rotating line umbrella (RLU) quantum scattering model and employing an analytical potential energy surface, PES-2006, recently developed by our group. The calculations were performed in hyperspherical coordinates. The wells found in the hyperspherical adiabats, the oscillatory pattern in the cumulative and state-to-state reaction probabilities, the forward/backward predominance in the differential cross section at a collision energy of 1.8 kcal mol(-1), and the dramatic change of the scattering angle with energy are related to scattering resonances, and they are assigned to a quasi-bound complex on the vibrationally adiabatic ground-state potential.     

Kinetics study of the OH + alkene --> H2O + alkenyl reaction class

In this paper we report on the kinetics of hydrogen abstraction for the OH + alkene reaction class, using the reaction class transition state theory (RC-TST) combined with the linear energy relationship (LER) and the barrier height grouping (BHG) approaches. Parameters for the RC-TST were derived from theoretical calculations using a set of 15 reactions representing the hydrogen abstractions from the terminal and nonterminal carbon sites of the double bond of alkene compounds. Both the RC-TST/LER, where only reaction energy is needed at either density functional theory BH&HLYP or semiempirical AM1 levels, and RC-TST/BHG, where no additional information is required, are found to be promising methods for predicting rate constants for a large number of reactions in this reaction class. Detailed error analyses show that, when compared to explicit theoretical calculations, the averaged systematic errors in the calculated rate constants using both the RC-TST/LER and RC-TST/BHG methods are less than 25% in the temperature range 300-3000 K. The estimated rate constants using these approaches are in good agreement with available data in the literature.     

Microcanonical statistical study of ortho-para conversion in the reaction H3+ + H2-->(H5+)*-->H3+ + H2 at very low energies

The ortho-para conversion of H(3) (+) and H(2) in the reaction H(3) (+)+H(2)-->(H(5) (+))(*)-->H(3) (+)+H(2) in interstellar space is possible by scrambling the five protons via (H(5) (+))(*) complex formation. The product distribution of the ortho-para conversion reaction can be given by ratios of cumulative reaction probabilities (CRP) calculated by microcanonical statistical theory with conservation of energy, motional angular momentum, nuclear spin, and parity. A statistical method to calculate the state-to-state reaction probabilities for given initial nuclear spin species, rotational states, and collision energies is developed using a simple semiclassical approximation of tunneling and above-barrier reflection. A new calculation method of branching ratios for given total nuclear spins and scrambling mechanisms is also developed. The anisotropic long-range electrostatic interaction potential of H(2) in the Coulomb field of H(3) (+) is taken into account using the first-order perturbation theory in forming the complex. The CRPs and the product distribution of the ortho-para conversion reaction at very low energies with reactants in their ground vibronic and lowest rotational states for given initial nuclear spin species are presented as a function of collision energy assuming complete proton scrambling or incomplete proton scrambling. The authors show that the product distribution at very low energies (or very low temperatures) differs substantially from the high energy (or high temperature) limit branching ratios.     

Direct dynamic study on the hydrogen abstraction reaction CH3CN + OH-->CH2CN + H2O

The reaction of acetonitrile with hydroxyl has been studied using the direct ab initio dynamics methods. The geometries, vibrational frequencies of the stationary points, as well as the minimum energy paths were computed at the BHandHLYP and MP2 levels of theory with the 6-311G(d, p) basis set. The energies were further refined at the PMP4/6-311+G(2df, 2pd) and QCISD(T)/6-311+G(2df, 2pd) levels of theory based on the structures optimized at BHandHLYP/6-311G(d, p) and MP2/6-311G(d, p) levels of theory. The Polyrate 8.2 program was employed to predict the thermal rate constants using the canonical variational transition state theory incorporating a small-curvature tunneling correction. The computed rate constants are in good agreement with the available experimental data.     

Full dimensional time-dependent quantum dynamics study of the H + NH3 --> H2 + NH2 reaction

A rigorous full dimensional time-dependent wave packet method has been developed for the reactive scattering between an atom and a tetra-atomic molecule. The method has been applied to the hydrogen abstraction reaction H+NH(3)-->H(2)+NH(2). Initial state-selected total reaction probabilities are investigated for the reactions from the ground vibrational state and from four excited vibrational states of ammonia. The total reaction probabilities from two lowest "tunneling doublets" due to the inversion barrier for the umbrella bending motion of NH(3) and from two pairs of doubly degenerate vibrational states of NH(3) are also inspected. Integral cross sections and rate constants are calculated for the reaction from the ground state with the centrifugal-sudden approximation. The calculated results are compared with those from the previous seven dimensional calculations [M. Yang and J. C. Corchado, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 214312 (2007)]. This work shows that the full dimensional rate constants are a factor of 3 larger than the corresponding seven dimensional calculated values at T=200 K and are overall smaller than those obtained from the variational transition state theory in the whole temperature region. The work also reveals that nonreactive NH bonds of NH(3) cannot be treated as spectators due to the fact that three NH bonds are coupled with each other during the reaction process.     

Theoretical study on the mechanism of the CH2F + NO2 reaction

Despite the importance of the Fluoromethyl radicals in combustion chemistry, very little experimental information on their reactions toward stable molecules is available in the literature. Motivated by recent laboratory characterization about the reaction kinetics of Chloromethyl radicals with NO2, we carried out a detailed potential energy survey on the CH2F + NO2 reaction at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and MC-QCISD (single-point) levels as an attempt toward understanding the CH2F + NO2 reaction mechanism. It is shown that the CH2F radical can react with NO2 to barrierlessly generate adduct a (H2FCNO2), followed by isomerization to b1 (H2FCONO-trans) which can easily interconvert to b2 (H2FCONO-cis). Subsequently, Starting from b (b1, b2), the most feasible pathway is the C--F and N--O1 bonds cleavage along with N--F bond formation of b (b1, b2) leading to P1 (CH2O + FNO), or the direct N--O1 weak-bond fission of b (b1, b2) to give P2 (CH2FO + NO), or the 1,3-H-shift associated with N--O1 bond rupture of b1 to form P3 (CHFO + HNO), all of which may have comparable contribution to the reaction CH2F + NO2. Much less competitively, b2 either take the 1,4-H-shift and O1--N bond cleavage to form product P4 (CHFO + HON) or undergo a concerted H-shift to isomer c2 (HFCONOH), followed by dissociation to P4. Because the rate-determining transition state (TSab1) in the most competitive channels is only 0.3 kcal/mol higher than the reactants in energy, the CH2F + NO2 reaction is expected to be rapid, and may thus be expected to significantly contribute to elimination of nitrogen dioxide pollutants. The similarities and discrepancies among the CH2X + NO2 (X = H, F, and Cl) reactions are discussed in terms of the electronegativity of halogen atom. The present article may assist in future experimental identification of the product distributions for the title reaction, and may be helpful for understanding the halogenated methyl chemistry.