Computational study on kinetics and mechanisms of unimolecular decomposition of succinic acid and its anhydride

The mechanisms and kinetics of unimolecular decomposition of succinic acid and its anhydride have been studied at the G2M(CC2) and microcanonical RRKM levels of theory. It was shown that the ZsgsZ conformer of succinic acid, with the Z-acid form and the gauche conformation around the central C-C bond, is its most stable conformer, whereas the lowest energy conformer with the E-acid form, ECGsZ, is only 3.1 kcal/mol higher in energy than the ZsgsZ. Three primary decomposition channels of succinic acid producing H2O + succinic anhydride with a barrier of 51.0 kcal/mol, H2O + OCC2H3COOH with a barrier of 75.7 kcal/mol and CO2 + C2H5COOH with a barrier of 71.9 kcal/mol were predicted. The dehydration process starting from the ECGCZ-conformer is found to be dominant, whereas the decarboxylation reaction starting from the ZsgsZ-conformer is only slightly less favorable. It was shown that the decomposition of succinic anhydride occurs via a concerted fragmentation mechanism (with a 69.6 kcal/mol barrier), leading to formation of CO + CO2 + C2H4 products. On the basis of the calculated potential energy surfaces of these reactions, the rate constants for unimolecular decomposition of succinic acid and its anhydride were predicted. In addition, the predicted rate constants for the unimolecular decomposition of C2H5COOH by decarboxylation (giving C2H6 + CO2) and dehydration (giving H3CCHCO + H2O) are in good agreement with available experimental data.     

Theoretical studies of the NTO unimolecular decomposition

This work studies 39 decomposition paths among 18 intermediates and 14 transition states. Three types of intra-molecular proton migration and the direct scission of C–NO₂ were regarded as the initial steps of the unimolecular decomposition of NTO. The activation energies of the radicalization C–NO₂ homolysis step are 79.158, 79.781 and 80.652 kcal mol⁻¹. The activation energies of the ionization C–NO⁻¹₂ scission step are 262.488, 263.138 and 272.278 kcal mol⁻¹. The bottle neck activation energies of the C–NO₂H cleavage are 54.936, 63.257 and 71.247 kcal mol⁻¹. Two paths have the smallest bottle neck activation energy. Both of them have two proton migration steps and one internal rotation step prior to C–NO₂H cleavage. At lower temperatures, energy accumulated slowly. When the energy is high enough and reaction time is long enough for structure transformation, these two mechanisms should be the most probable decomposition paths. At high temperatures, the shortest (four steps) mechanism which goes through radicalization C–NO₂ scission should be the dominant path. There are five tautomers found in this study. Four of them are intra-molecular proton migration tautomers. The other one is an internal rotational tautomer. Their energy barriers for structure transfer are lower than any of the activation energies of the decomposition reactions. It may be regarded as one explanation of the insensitive property of NTO.     

Effective Hamiltonian models and unimolecular decomposition

Partitioning Hilbert space into two subspaces by using orthogonal projection operators yields compact forms for effective Hamiltonians for each of the subspaces. When one (the Q space) contains molecular bound states and the other (the P space) contains dissociative continua, a simple form for the non-Hermitian Q-space effective Hamiltonian, H(eff), can be obtained, subject to reasonable approximations. Namely, H(eff) = H0 - ivariant Planck's/2pi Gamma/2, where H0 is Hermitian, and the width operator variant Planck's/2pi Gamma accounts for couplings of the Q-space levels to the P-space continua. The P/Q partitioning procedure has been applied in many areas of atomic, molecular, and nuclear physics with widespread success. Inputting into this formalism ideas from random matrix theory in order to model independent open channels yields the random matrix H(eff) model. Despite numerous efforts, this model has failed to model satisfactorily the statistical transition-state theory of unimolecular decomposition (hereafter referred to as TST) in the regime of overlapping resonances, where nearly all such reactions occur. All statistical models of unimolecular decomposition are premised on rapid intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) for a given set of good quantum numbers. The phase space thus accessed results in a threshold reaction rate of 1/h rho, and for K independent open channels, the rate is K/h rho. This reaction rate corresponds to a resonance width of K/2pi rho, and when K increases, the resonances (which are rho(-1) apart) overlap. In this regime, the random matrix H(eff) model fails because it does not introduce independent open channels. To illustrate the source of the problem, an analysis is carried out of a simple model that is obviously and manifestly inconsistent with TST. This model is solved exactly, and it is then put in the form of the random matrix H(eff) model, illustrating the one-to-one correspondence. This reveals the deficiencies of the latter. In manipulating this model into the form H0 - ivariant Planck's/2pi Gamma/2, it becomes clear that the independent open channels in the random matrix H(eff) model are inconsistent with TST. Rather, this model is one of gateway states (i.e., bound states that are coupled to their respective continua as well as to a manifold of zero-order bound states, none of which are coupled directly to the continua). Despite the fact that the effective Hamiltonian method is, by itself, beyond reproach, the random matrix H(eff) model is flawed as a model of unimolecular decomposition in several respects, most notably, bifurcations of the distributions of resonance widths in the regime of overlapping resonances.     

The thermal unimolecular decomposition of bromocyclobutane

The thermal unimolecular decomposition of bromocyclobutane has been investigated over the temperature range of 791–1224 K using the technique of very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP). HBr elimination is the sole mode of decomposition under the experimental conditions. No evidence could be found for the ring-cleavage pathway to ethylene and vinyl bromide. Assuming a four-center transition state and an Arrhenius A factor the same as that for HCl elimination from chlorocyclobutane, RRKM calculations show that the experimental unimolecular rate constants are consistent with the Arrhenius expression where θ = 2.303RT kcal/mol. The activation energy is higher than that for the open-chain analog, 2? bromobutane. This finding is consistent with the results for the corresponding chloro and iodo compounds.     

Theoretical study on the unimolecular decomposition of thiophenol

The potential energy surface for the unimolecular decomposition of thiophenol (C(6)H(5)SH) is mapped out at two theoretical levels; BB1K/GTlarge and QCISD(T)/6-311+G(2d,p)//MP2/6-31G(d,p). Calculated reaction rate constants at the high pressure limit indicate that the major initial channel is the formation of C(6)H(6)S at all temperatures. Above 1000 K, the contribution from direct fission of the S-H bond becomes important. Other decomposition channels, including expulsion of H(2) and H(2)S are of negligible importance. The formation of C(6)H(6)S is predicted to be strong-pressure dependent above 900 K. Further decomposition of C(6)H(6)S produces CS and C(5)H(6). Overall, despite the significant difference in bond dissociation, i.e., 8-9 kcal/mol between the S-H bond in thiophenol and the O-H bond in phenol, H migration at the ortho position in the two molecules represents the most accessible initial channel.     

Theoretical studies on the unimolecular decomposition of propanediols and glycerol

Polyols, a typical type of alcohol containing multiple hydroxyl groups, are being regarded as a new generation of a green energy platform. In this paper, the decomposition mechanisms for three polyol molecules, i.e., 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and glycerol, have been investigated by quantum chemistry calculations. The potential energy surfaces of propanediols and glycerol have been built by the QCISD(T) and CBS-QB3 methods, respectively. For the three molecules studied, the H(2)O-elimination and C-C bond dissociation reactions show great importance among all of the unimolecular decomposition channels. Rate constant calculations further demonstrate that the H(2)O-elimination reactions are predominant at low temperature and pressure, whereas the direct C-C bond dissociation reactions prevail at high temperature and pressure. The temperature and pressure dependence of calculated rate constants was demonstrated by the fitted Arrhenius equations. This work aims to better understand the thermal decomposition process of polyols and provide useful thermochemical and kinetic data for kinetic modeling of polyols-derived fuel combustion.     

A theoretical study of the unimolecular decomposition of difluorochloromethane

Nonempirical quantum-chemical calculations have been performed in the 4-31G basis on the equilibrium geometry and vibrational frequencies of difluorochloromethane, as well as on the transition state in the decomposition CHF₂ClCF₂+HCl. The potentialenergy surface has been constructed and a simplified 1D dynamic model has been formulated for the reaction, which is based on dividing the degrees of freedom into active (dynamic) and adiabatic ones. Measurements on the reaction kinetics have been analyzed from calculations on the rate constant from the RRKM theory and within the framework of the 1D model.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 274–281, May–June 1987.I am indebted to M. V. Bazilevskii, M. Ya. Gol'denberg, S. Ya. Umanskii, A. I. Voronin, and M. A. Teitel'boim for useful discussions.     

Kinetics of the unimolecular decomposition of the 2-chloroallyl radical

The thermal decomposition of the 2-chloroallyl radical, CH(2)CClCH(2) --> CH(2)CCH(2) + Cl (1), was studied using the laser photolysis/photoionization mass spectrometry technique. Rate constants were determined in time-resolved experiments as a function of temperature (720-840 K) and bath gas density ([He] = (3-12) x 10(16), [N(2)] = 6 x 10(16) molecule cm(-3)). C(3)H(4) was observed as a primary product of reaction 1. The rate constants of reaction 1 are in the falloff, close to the low-pressure limit, under the conditions of the experiments. The potential energy surface (PES) of reaction 1 was studied using a variety of quantum chemical methods. The results of the study indicate that the minimum energy path of the CH(2)CClCH(2) dissociation proceeds through a PES plateau corresponding to a weakly bound Cl-C(3)H(4) complex; a PES saddle point exists between the equilibrium CH(2)CClCH(2) structure and the Cl-C(3)H(4) complex. The results of quantum chemical calculations, the rate constant values obtained in the experimental study, and literature data on the reverse reaction of addition of Cl to allene were used to create a model of reactions 1 and -1. The experimental dependences of the rate constants on temperature and pressure were reproduced in RRKM/master equation calculations. The reaction model provides expressions for the temperature dependences of the high-pressure-limit and the low-pressure-limit rate constants and the falloff broadening factors (at T = 300-1600 K): k(infinity)(1) = 1.45 x 10(20)T(-1.75) exp(-19609 K/T) s(-1), k(infinity)(-)(1) = 8.94 x 10(-10)T(-0.40) exp(481 K/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), k(1)(0)(He) = 5.01 x 10(-32)T(-12.02) exp(-22788 K/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), k(1)(0)(N(2)) = 2.50 x 10(-32)T(-11.92) exp(-22756 K/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), F(cent)(He) = 0.46 exp(-T/1001 K) + 0.54 exp(-T/996 K) + exp(-4008 K/T), and F(cent)(N(2)) = 0.37 exp(-T/2017 K) + 0.63 exp(-T/142 K) + exp(-4812 K/T). The experimental data are not sufficient to specify all the parameters of the model; consequently, some of the model parameters were obtained from quantum chemical calculations and from analogy with other reactions of radical decomposition. Thus, the parametrization is most reliable under conditions close to those used in the experiments.     

Theoretical studies on the unimolecular decomposition of ethylene glycol

The unimolecular decomposition processes of ethylene glycol have been investigated with the QCISD(T) method with geometries optimized at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Among the decomposition channels identified, the H(2)O-elimination channels have the lowest barriers, and the C-C bond dissociation is the lowest-energy dissociation channel among the barrierless reactions (the direct bond cleavage reactions). The temperature and pressure dependent rate constant calculations show that the H(2)O-elimination reactions are predominant at low temperature, whereas at high temperature, the direct C-C bond dissociation reaction is dominant. At 1 atm, in the temperature range 500-2000 K, the calculated rate constant is expressed to be 7.63 × 10(47)T(-10.38) exp(-42262/T) for the channel CH(2)OHCH(2)OH → CH(2)CHOH + H(2)O, and 2.48 × 10(51)T(-11.58) exp(-43593/T) for the channel CH(2)OHCH(2)OH → CH(3)CHO + H(2)O, whereas for the direct bond dissociation reaction CH(2)OHCH(2)OH → CH(2)OH + CH(2)OH the rate constant expression is 1.04 × 10(71)T(-16.16) exp(-52414/T).     

Energy barriers to gas-phase unimolecular decomposition of trinitrotoluenes

Alternative versions of gas-phase unimolecular decomposition of six isomeric trinitrotoluenes, in particular homolytic dissociation of C_arom–NO₂ and C_arom–CH₃ bonds, nitro–nitrite rearrangement, intramolecular hydrogen transfer from the methyl group to nitro group with formation of aci-trinitrotoluenes, and formation of various bicyclic intermediates, have been simulated at the B3LYP/6-31+G(2df,p) level of theory. Except for 3,4,5-trinitrotoluene, the most energetically favorable for all other examined trinitrotoluenes is intramolecular hydrogen transfer. 3,4,5-Trinitrotoluene preferentially decomposes via formation of [6 + 4]-bicyclic intermediates or homolytic dissociation of the C_arom–NO₂ bond.     

Thermal unimolecular decomposition of formyl fluoride in Ar

The thermal decomposition of formyl fluoride in Ar has been studied behind shock waves over the temperature range 1160–1480 K and the total density range (7.18–18.6) × 10⁻⁶ mol cm⁻³. The decomposition was monitored by means of IR emission from the CH stretching of the reactant and the fundamental band of the CO produced. The decomposition was found to be molecular elimination producing HF and CO and the process proceeded in the low-pressure region under the present conditions. The second-order rate constant was expressed as k/Ar = 10^14,74 exp(−35.2 kcal mol⁻¹/RT) cm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹. Applying the RRKM strong collision theory, the value of the threshold energy and the collision efficiency were discussed.     

Theoretical calculation of the unimolecular decomposition of the fluorine fluorosulfonate molecule

The RRKM theory is applied to the unimolecular decomposition of fluorine fluorosulfonate. Theoretical results are compared with the available experimental values for different temperatures and a good agreement is found.

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PPKM . ; .

     

Energy barriers to gas-phase unimolecular decomposition of mono- and dinitrotoluenes

Alternative paths of gas-phase unimolecular decomposition of three nitrotoluenes and six dinitrotoluenes, in particular homolytic dissociation of the C–N bond, nitro–nitrite rearrangement, intramolecular hydrogen transfer from the methyl to nitro group with formation of isomeric aci-nitrotoluenes, and various paths involving formation of bicyclic intermediates, have been studied at the DFT B3LYP/6-31+G(2df,p) level of theory using GAUSSIAN 09 software package. The most energetically favorable path for o-nitrotoluene and 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, and 2,6-dinitrotoluenes is the formation of aci-nitrotoluenes. The effect of the substrate structure on the competition between different mechanisms of these reactions has been analyzed.     

Theoretical investigation of unimolecular decomposition channels of furan4

Density functional theory and high-level ab initio calculations were carried out to investigate three unimolecular decomposition channels of furan. All equilibrium and transition state structures along the proposed decomposition channels are fully optimized by B3LYP/6-31G** and characterized at the same level of theory by vibrational and intrinsic reaction coordinate analyses. Relative energies of the optimized structures were evaluated at theoretical levels up to QCISD(T)/6-311++G**. The theoretical results suggest that the unimolecular decomposition channel of isoxazole, proposed in an experimental study and implied to be the main decomposition channel of furan, is responsible only for the formation of HC(TRIPLE BOND)CH and H₂O(DOUBLE BOND)C(DOUBLE BOND)O, minor products of furan thermal decomposition. A new decomposition mechanism, proposed in the present study, is shown to be more likely responsible for the formation of CH₃C(TRIPLE BOND)CH and CO, major products of furan thermal decomposition. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 240–249, 1998     

Kinetic investigations of the unimolecular decomposition of dimethylether behind shock waves

The thermal decomposition of dimethylether was studied behind reflected shock waves at total pressures of 0.3 − 1.3 bar in the temperature range 1270 − 1620 K using H-atom detection by Lyman-α resonance absorption spectroscopy at 121.6 nm.     

The unimolecular thermal decomposition of oxetane and its methyl derivatives: An Ab initio and RRKM calculations

Quantum mechanical and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) calculations are carried out to study the thermal unimolecular decomposition of oxetane (1), 2-methyloxetane (2), and 2,2-dimethyloxetane (3) at the MPW1PW91/6-311 + G** level of theory. The results of the calculations reveal that decomposition reaction of compounds 1?C3 yields formaldehyde and the corresponding substituted olefin. The predicted high-pressure-limit rate constants for the decomposition compounds 1?C3 are represented as 6.61 × 10¹³exp(?32472/T), 9.33 × 10¹³exp(?29873/T), and 4.79 × 10¹³exp(?27055/T) s^?1, respectively. The fall-off pressures for the decomposition of compounds 1?C3 are found to be 9.42 × 10^?2, 3.67 × 10^?3, and 7.26 × 10^?4 mm Hg, respectively. As the fall-off pressure of the decomposition process of compounds 1?C3 are in the following order: P _1/2(1) > P _1/2(2) > P _1/2(3); therefore the decomposition rates are as follow: rate(1) < rate(2) < (3).     

On the thermal unimolecular decomposition of the cyclohexoxy radical--an experimental and theoretical study

The kinetics of the thermal unimolecular decomposition of the cyclohexoxy radical (c-C(6)H(11)O) was experimentally studied, and the results were analyzed in terms of statistical rate theory with molecular and transition state data from quantum chemical calculations. Laser flash photolysis of cyclohexylnitrite at 351 nm was used to produce c-C(6)H(11)O radicals, and their concentration was monitored by laser-induced fluorescence after excitation at 356.2 or 365.2 nm. The experiments were performed at temperatures ranging from 293 to 341 K and pressures between 5 and 55 bar with helium as the bath gas. Over the whole temperature range, biexponential profiles were observed, which is an indication of a consecutive reaction with a pre-equilibrium. From our quantum chemical calculations, it follows that this pre-equilibrium corresponds to the reversible ring-opening via beta-C-C bond fission to form the 6-oxo-1-hexyl radical (l-C(6)H(11)O), c-C(6)H(11)O <--> l-C(6)H(11)O (1,-1). The following temperature-dependent rate coefficients were deduced with an estimated uncertainty of +/-30%: k(1)(T) = 3.80 x 10(13) exp(-50.1 kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1) and k(-1)(T) = 3.02 x 10(8) exp(-23.8 kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1); a pressure dependence was not observed. In our theoretical analysis, the different conformers of c-C(6)H(11)O were explicitly taken into account, and the C-C torsional motions in l-C(6)H(11)O were treated as hindered internal rotators using a recently suggested approach. This explicit consideration of the hindered internal rotators significantly improved the agreement between the experimentally determined rate coefficients and the results from the quantum chemical computations.     

Shock wave study on the thermal unimolecular decomposition of allyl radicals

We present the first direct study on the thermal unimolecular decomposition of allyl radicals. Experiments have been performed behind shock waves, and the experimental conditions covered temperatures ranging from 1125 K up to 1570 K and pressures between 0.25 and 4.5 bar. Allyl radicals have been generated by thermal decomposition of allyl iodide, and H-atom resonance absorption spectroscopy has been used to monitor the reaction progress. A marked pressure dependence of the rate constant has been observed which is in agreement with the results from a master equation analysis. However, our experimental results as well as our Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations seem to contradict the results of Deyerl et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 1999, 110, 1450) who investigated the unimolecular decomposition of allyl radicals upon photoexcitation and tried to deduce specific rate constants for the unimolecular dissociation in the electronic ground state. At pressures around 1 bar we extracted the following rate equation: k(T) = 5.3 x 10(79)(T/K)(-19.29) exp[(-398.9 kJ/mol)/RT] s(-1). The uncertainty of the rate constant calculated from this equation is estimated to be 30%.