A DFT computational study of the bis-silylation reaction of acetylene catalyzed by palladium complexes

In this paper we have investigated at the DFT(B3LYP) level the catalytic cycle for the bis-silylation reaction of alkynes promoted by palladium complexes. A model-system formed by an acetylene molecule, a disilane molecule, and the Pd(PH(3))(2) complex has been used. The most relevant features of this catalytic cycle can be summarized as follows: (i) The first step of the cycle is an oxidative addition involving H(3)Si-SiH(3) and Pd(PH(3))(2). It occurs easily and leads to the cis (SiH(3))(2)Pd(PH(3))(2) complex that is 5.39 kcal mol(-1) lower in energy than reactants. (ii) The transfer of the two silyl groups to the C-C triple bond does not occur in a concerted way, but involves many steps. (iii) The cis (SiH(3))(2)Pd(PH(3))(2) complex, obtained from the oxidative addition, is involved in the formation of the first C-Si bond (activation barrier of 18.34 kcal mol(-1)). The two intermediates that form in this step cannot lead directly to the formation of the final bis(silyl)ethene product. However, they can isomerize rather easily (the two possible isomerizations have a barrier of 16.79 and 7.17 kcal mol(-1)) to new more stable species. In both these new intermediates the second silyl group is adjacent to the acetylene moiety and the formation of the second C-Si bond can occur rapidly leading to the (Z)-bis(silyl)ethene, as experimentally observed. (iv) The whole catalytic process is exothermic by 41.54 kcal mol(-1), in quite good agreement with the experimental estimate of this quantity (about 40 kcal mol(-1)).     

Ester versus polyketone formation in the palladium-diphosphine catalyzed carbonylation of ethene

The origin of the chemoselectivity of palladium catalysts containing bidentate phosphine ligands toward either methoxycarbonylation of ethene or the copolymerization of ethene and carbon monoxide was investigated using density functional theory based calculations. For a palladium catalyst containing the electron-donating bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane (dmpe) ligand, the rate determining step for chain propagation is shown to be the insertion of ethene into the metal-acyl bond. The high barrier for chain propagation is attributed to the low stability of the ethene intermediate, (dmpe)Pd(ethene)(C(O)CH3). For the competing methanolysis process, the most likely pathway involves the formation of (dmpe)Pd(CH3OH)(C(O)CH3) via dissociative ligand exchange, followed by a solvent mediated proton-transfer/reductive- elimination process. The overall barrier for this process is higher than the barrier for ethene insertion into the palladium-acetyl bond, in line with the experimentally observed preference of this type of catalyst toward the formation of polyketone. Electronic bite angle effects on the rates of ethene insertion and ethanoyl methanolysis were evaluated using four electronically and sterically related ligands (Me)2P(CH2)nP(Me)2 (n = 1-4). Steric effects were studied for larger tert-butyl substituted ligands using a QM/MM methodology. The results show that ethene coordination to the metal center and subsequent insertion into the palladium-ethanoyl bond are disfavored by the addition of steric bulk around the metal center. Key intermediates in the methanolysis mechanism, on the other hand, are stabilized because of electronic effects caused by increasing the bite angle of the diphosphine ligand. The combined effects explain successfully which ligands give polymer and which ones give methyl propionate as the major products of the reaction.     

OsO~+氧化活化氢分子气相反应机理的密度泛函理论计算

为了探寻OsO+与H2气相反应的机理,用密度泛函理论方法 UB3LYP,全优化了该反应的加成(氧化加成和[2+2]环加成)-消除、氢抽提-反弹,以及氧端插入等四种可能路径中所有可能的反应物、中间体、过渡态和产物在六重态、四重态和二重态等三个自旋态下的几何结构,计算了各种机理反应的势能面.结果表明,标题反应为自旋禁阻反应,反应起始自四重态,最终产物为六重态基态,整个反应放热21.0 kJ mol-1.因反应络合物相对于入口通道有太正Gibbs函数,氧端插入机理是高能的过程.其他三种机理都具有多(或二)态反应性(MSR或TSR).其中,两种加成-消除机理的最低能量路径都可能经由四重态-二重态-四重态-六重态的三次自旋翻转,抽提-反弹机理的最低能量路径可能经历由四重态-六重态的自旋翻转.抽提-反弹机理由势能面一路攀升的吸热氢抽提过程和几乎无能垒的强放热的反弹过程组成,所以按该机理反应在常温常压下难以发生.两种加成-消去机理的决速步(第二个H的迁移步)相同,虽然其位垒稍高,为156.9 kJ mol-1,但与其进程中前面的强放热步骤耦合,常温常压下该反应是可以发生的.其中,协同环加成步的位垒仅28.7 kJ mol-1,比第一个H的还原消去步的位垒低113.7 kJ mol-1,所以竞争的结果是,常温常压下[2+2]环加成-消去机理比氧化加成-消去机理在动力学上更有利.     

Insight into the Detailed Mechanism of HRh（CO）（PPh3）3 Catalyzed Hydroformylation of 1-Phenyl-1-（3-pyridyl）ethene：A DFT Study

Density functional calculations have been used to study the mechanism of 1-phenyl-1-(3-pyridyl)ethene hydroformylation using rhodium catalyst.Our calculations reveal that the rate-determining step is the oxidative addition of hydrogen molecule and the preferred path is the one involving ts3ans for the lowest activation free-energy (ΔrGa),63.8 kJ/mol.This reaction is demonstrated to be strong exothermic by-96.6 kJ/mol of branched products and-98.2 kJ/mol of linear products.And the predominant product is the linear 3-phenyl-3-(3-pyridal)propanal (pr-ns) determined by both thermodynamics and kinetics.These results are in agreement with the practicality experimental studies.     

The 1deltag dioxygen ene reaction with propene: a density functional and multireference perturbation theory mechanistic study

This study aims to determine whether a balance between concerted and non-concerted pathways exists, and in particular to ascertain the possible role of diradical/zwitterion or peroxirane intermediates. Three non-concerted pathways, via 1) diradical or 2) peroxirane intermediates, and 3) by means of hydrogen-abstraction/radical recoupling, plus one concerted pathway (4), are explored. The intermediates and transition structures (TS) are optimized at the DFT(MPW1K), DFT(B3LYP) and CASSCF levels of theory. The latter optimizations are followed by multireference perturbative CASPT2 energy calculations. (1) The polar diradical forms from the separate reactants by surmounting a barrier (deltaE(++)(MPW1K)=12, deltaE++(B3LYP)=14, and deltaE(++)(CASPT2)=16 kcal mol(-1) and can back-dissociate through the same TS, with barriers of 11 (MPW1K) and 8 kcal mol(-1) (B3LYP and CASPT2). The diradical to hydroperoxide transformation is easy at all levels (deltaE(++)(MPW1K)<4, deltaE(++)(B3LYP)=1 and deltaE(++)(CASPT2)=1 kcal mol(-1)). (2) Peroxirane is attainable only by passing through the diradical intermediate, and not directly, due to the nature of the critical points involved. It is located higher in energy than the diradical by 12 kcal mol(-1), at all theory levels. The energy barrier for the diradical to cis-peroxirane transformation (deltaE(++)=14-16 kcal mol(-1)) is much higher than that for the diradical transformation to the hydroperoxide. In addition, peroxirane can very easily back-transform to the diradical (deltaE(++)<3 kcal mol(-1)). Not only the energetics, but also the qualitative features of the energy hypersurface, prevent a pathway connecting the peroxirane to the hydroperoxide at all levels of theory. (3) The last two-step pathway (hydrogen-abstraction by (1)O(2), followed by HOO-allyl radical coupling) is not competitive with the diradical mechanism. (4) A concerted pathway is carefully investigated, and deemed an artifact of restricted DFT calculations. Finally, the possible ene/[pi2+pi2] competition is discussed.     

Studies of carbon incorporation on the diamond [100] surface during chemical vapor deposition using density functional theory

Accurate potential energy surface calculations are presented for many of the key steps involved in diamond chemical vapor deposition on the [100] surface (in its 2 x 1 reconstructed and hydrogenated form). The growing diamond surface was described by using a large (approximately 1500 atoms) cluster model, with the key atoms involved in chemical steps being described by using a quantum mechanical (QM, density functional theory, DFT) method and the bulk of the atoms being described by molecular mechanics (MM). The resulting hybrid QM/MM calculations are more systematic and/or at a higher level of theory than previous work on this growth process. The dominant process for carbon addition, in the form of methyl radicals, is predicted to be addition to a surface radical site, opening of the adjacent C-C dimer bond, insertion, and ultimate ring closure. Other steps such as insertion across the trough between rows of dimer bonds or addition to a neighboring dimer leading to formation of a reconstruction on the next layer may also contribute. Etching of carbon can also occur; the most likely mechanism involves loss of a two-carbon moiety in the form of ethene. The present higher-level calculations confirm that migration of inserted carbon along both dimer rows and chains should be relatively facile, with barriers of approximately 150 kJ mol (-1) when starting from suitable diradical species, and that this step should play an important role in establishing growth of smooth surfaces.     

Ab initio and microcalorimetric investigations of alkene adsorption on phosphotungstic acid

The adsorption of ethene, propene, 1-butene, trans-2-butene, and isobutene on phosphotungstic acid has been characterized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and microcalorimetric experiments. The DFT-calculated chemisorption energies to form the corresponding alkoxides for ethene, propene, 1-butene, trans-2-butene, and isobutene were -86.8, -90.3, -102.6, -79.9, and -91.4 kJ mol(-1), respectively (for their most-favorable binding modes). The relative chemisorption energies to form the alkoxides are dictated by the strength of interaction of the acidic proton with the carbon atom of the double bond that becomes protonated. The activation barrier for chemisorption was greatest for alkenes with primary (1 degrees) carbenium-like transition states followed by secondary (2 degrees) and tertiary (3 degrees) transition states. The adsorption enthalpy established from microcalorimetric experiments with propene and isobutene was approximately -100 kJ mol(-1), which is close to the DFT-calculated values. Chemisorption of ethene on phosphotungstic acid during microcalorimetric experiments was minimal, presumably because of the large activation barrier associated with a 1 degrees carbenium-like transition state. The results from this study are compared with those in the literature for the adsorption of alkenes on zeolites, which have a similar adsorption mechanism. Our results suggest that alkene adsorption is stronger on phosphotungstic acid than on zeolites, as supported by the more exothermic chemisorption energies. Additionally, activation barriers for alkene adsorption are lower over phosphotungstic acid than over zeolites.     

Conformational and electronic consequences in crafting extended, π-conjugated, light-harvesting macrocycles

The synthesis of a new series of free‐base, Ni^II and Zn^II 2,3,12,13‐tetra(ethynyl)‐5,10,15,20‐tetraphenyl porphyrins is described. Upon heating, two of the four ethynyl moieties undergo Bergman cyclization to afford the monocyclized 2,3‐diethynyl‐5,20‐diphenylpiceno[10,11,12,13,14,15‐jklmn]porphyrin in 30 %, 10 %, and trace yields, respectively. The structures of all products were investigated by using quantum chemical calculations and the free‐base analogue was isolated and crystallized; all compounds show significant deviation from the idealized planar structure. No fully‐cyclized bispiceno[20,1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,15‐fghij]porphyrin was isolated from the reaction mixture. To understand why only two of the four enthynyl groups undergo Bergman cyclization, the reaction coordinates were examined by using DFT at the PWPW91/cc‐pVTZ(‐f) level coupled to a continuum solvation model. The barrier to cyclization of the second pair of ethynyl groups was found to be 5.5 kcal mol^?1 higher than the first, suggesting a negative cooperative effect and significantly slower rate for the second cyclization. Cyclization reactions for model porphyrin–enediynes with ethene‐ and H‐functionality substitutions at the meso‐phenyl rings were also examined, and found to have a similar barrier to diradical formation for the second cyclization event as for the first in these highly planar molecules. By enforcing an artificial 30° cant in two of the pyrrole rings of the porphyrin, the second barrier was increased by 2 kcal mol^?1 in the ethene model system; this suggests that the disruption of the π conjugation of the extended porphyrin structure is the cause of the increased barrier to the second cyclization event.     

Reactions of 1,3-cyclohexadiene with singlet oxygen. A theoretical study.

A thorough study of the reaction of singlet oxygen with 1,3-cyclohexadiene has been made at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) and CASPT2(12e,10o) levels. The initial addition reaction follows a stepwise diradical pathway to form cyclohexadiene endoperoxide with an activation barrier of 6.5 kcal/mol (standard level = CASPT2(12e,10o)/6-31G(d); geometries and zero-point corrections at B3LYP/6-31G(d)), which is consistent with an experimental value of 5.5 kcal/mol. However, as the enthalpy of the transition structure for the second step is lower than the diradical intermediate, the reaction might also be viewed as a nonsynchronous concerted reaction. In fact, the concertedness of the reaction is temperature dependent since entropy differences create a free energy barrier for the second step of 1.8 kcal/mol at 298 K. There are two ene reactions; one is a concerted mechanism (DeltaH(double dagger) = 8.8 kcal/mol) to 1-hydroperoxy-2,5-cyclohexadiene (5), while the other, which forms 1-hydroperoxy-2,4-cyclohexadiene (18), passes through the same diradical intermediate (9) as found on the pathway to endoperoxide. The major pathway from the endoperoxide is O-O bond cleavage (22.0 kcal/mol barrier) to form a 1,4-diradical (25), which is 13.9 kcal/mol less stable than the endoperoxide. From the diradical, two low-energy pathways exist, one to epoxyketone (29) and the other to the diepoxide (27), where both products are known to be formed experimentally with a product ratio sensitive to the nature of substitutents. A significantly higher activation barrier leads to C-C bond cleavage and direct formation of maleic aldehyde plus ethylene.     

Diradical mechanism for the [2 + 2] cycloaddition of ethylene on Si(100) surface

Density functional cluster model calculations have been performed to explore the reaction mechanism for the adsorption of ethylene on Si(100). It is shown that the [2 + 2] cycloaddition of ethylene on a Si=Si dimer of Si (100) surface follows a diradical mechanism, via a pi-complex precursor and a singlet diradical intermediate, and the rate-determining step for the overall reaction is the formation of the diradical intermediate.     

咪唑与单线态氧(1O2)1,2-环加成反应的理论研究

采用较新的半经验分子轨道方法Austin Model 1(简称AM1方法), 辅以Berny梯度优化方法, 对单线态氧(~1O_2)与咪唑的1,2-环加成反应,进行了理论研究。计算获得实验尚未检测到的4,5-二氧环丁烷(4,5-dioxetane)的结构, 并在反应势能面上找到单重态双自由基中间体及通过该中间体的两步反应的过渡态。通过对过渡态的结构特征、虚振动方向以及对反应过程的电荷分布情况、轨道相互作用等的分析, 说明该反应是经由单重态双自由基中间体的分步反应。两步反应的活化势垒分别为39.2 kJ·mol~(-1)和150.5 kJ·mol~(-1)。     

Paramagnetic defect centers at the MgO surface. An alternative model to oxygen vacancies

On the basis of embedded cluster calculations, we propose a new model for the structure of paramagnetic color centers at the MgO surface usually denoted as F(S)(H)(+) (an electron trapped near an adsorbed proton). These centers are produced by exposing the surface of polycrystalline MgO to H(2) followed by UV irradiation. We demonstrate that properties of H atom absorbed at surface sites such as step edges (MgO(step)) and reverse corner sites (MgO(RC)), formed at the intersection of two step edges, are compatible with a number of features observed for F(S)(H)(+). Our calculations suggest that (i) H(2) dissociates at the reverse corner site heterolytically and that there is no barrier for this exothermic reaction; (ii) the calculated vibrations of the resulting MgO(RC)(H(+))(H(-)) complex are fully consistent with the measured ones; (iii) desorption of a neutral H atom from the diamagnetic precursor requires UV light and leads to the formation of stable neutral paramagnetic centers at the surface, MgO(step)(H(+))(e(-))(trapped) and MgO(RC)(H(+))(e(-))(trapped). The computed isotropic hyperfine coupling constants and optical transitions of these centers are in broad agreement with the existing experimental data. We argue that these centers, which do not belong to the class of "oxygen vacancies", are two of the many possible forms of the F(S)(H)(+) defect center.     

A comparison of C-F and C-H bond activation by zerovalent ni and pt: a density functional study

Density functional theory indicates that oxidative addition of the C-F and C-H bonds in C6F6 and C6H6 at zerovalent nickel and platinum fragments, M(H2PCH2CH2PH2), proceeds via initial exothermic formation of an eta2-coordinated arene complex. Two distinct transition states have been located on the potential energy surface between the eta2-coordinated arene and the oxidative addition product. The first, at relatively low energy, features an eta3-coordinated arene and connects two identical eta2-arene minima, while the second leads to cleavage of the C-X bond. The absence of intermediate C-F or C-H sigma complexes observed in other systems is traced to the ability of the 14-electron metal fragment to accommodate the eta3-coordination mode in the first transition state. Oxidative addition of the C-F bond is exothermic at both nickel and platinum, but the barrier is significantly higher for the heavier element as a result of strong 5dpi-ppi repulsions in the transition state. Similar repulsive interactions lead to a relatively long Pt-F bond with a lower stretching frequency in the oxidative addition product. Activation of the C-H bond is, in contrast, exothermic only for the platinum complex. We conclude that the nickel system is better suited to selective C-F bond activation than its platinum analogue for two reasons: the strong thermodynamic preference for C-F over C-H bond activation and the relatively low kinetic barrier.     

Cluster size selectivity in the product distribution of ethene dehydrogenation on niobium clusters

Ethene reactions with niobium atoms and clusters containing up to 25 constituent atoms have been studied in a fast-flow metal cluster reactor. The clusters react with ethene at about the gas-kinetic collision rate, indicating a barrierless association process as the cluster removal step. Exceptions are Nb8 and Nb10, for which a significantly diminished rate is observed, reflecting some cluster size selectivity. Analysis of the experimental primary product masses indicates dehydrogenation of ethene for all clusters save Nb10, yielding either Nb(n)C2H2 or Nb(n)C2. Over the range Nb-Nb6, the extent of dehydrogenation increases with cluster size, then decreases for larger clusters. For many clusters, secondary and tertiary product masses are also observed, showing varying degrees of dehydrogenation corresponding to net addition of C2H4, C2H2, or C2. With Nb atoms and several small clusters, formal addition of at least six ethene molecules is observed, suggesting a polymerization process may be active. Kinetic analysis of the Nb atom and several Nb(n) cluster reactions with ethene shows that the process is consistent with sequential addition of ethene units at rates corresponding approximately to the gas-kinetic collision frequency for several consecutive reacting ethene molecules. Some variation in the rate of ethene pick up is found, which likely reflects small energy barriers or steric constraints associated with individual mechanistic steps. Density functional calculations of structures of Nb clusters up to Nb(6), and the reaction products Nb(n)C2H2 and Nb(n)C2 (n = 1...6) are presented. Investigation of the thermochemistry for the dehydrogenation of ethene to form molecular hydrogen, for the Nb atom and clusters up to Nb6, demonstrates that the exergonicity of the formation of Nb(n)C2 species increases with cluster size over this range, which supports the proposal that the extent of dehydrogenation is determined primarily by thermodynamic constraints. Analysis of the structural variations present in the cluster species studied shows an increase in C-H bond lengths with cluster size that closely correlates with the increased thermodynamic drive to full dehydrogenation. This correlation strongly suggests that all steps in the reaction are barrierless, and that weakening of the C-H bonds is directly reflected in the thermodynamics of the overall dehydrogenation process. It is also demonstrated that reaction exergonicity in the initial partial dehydrogenation step must be carried through as excess internal energy into the second dehydrogenation step.     

Oxidative addition of hydrogen halides and dihalogens to Pd. Trends in reactivity and relativistic effects

We have theoretically studied the oxidative addition of HX and X(2) to palladium for X = F, Cl, Br, I and At, using both nonrelativistic and ZORA-relativistic density functional theory at BLYP/QZ4P. The purpose is 3-fold: (i) to obtain a set of consistent potential energy surfaces (PESs) to infer accurate trends in reactivity for simple, archetypal oxidative addition reactions; (ii) to assess how relativistic effects modify these trends along X = F, Cl, Br, I and At; and (iii) to rationalize the trends in reactivity in terms of the reactants' molecular-orbital (MO) electronic structure and the H-X and X-X bond strengths. For the latter, we provide full Dirac-Coulomb CCSD(T) benchmarks. All oxidative additions to Pd are exothermic and have a negative overall barrier, except that of HF which is approximately thermoneutral and has a positive overall barrier. The activation barriers of the HX oxidative additions decrease systematically as X descends in group 17 of the periodic table; those of X(2) first increase, from F to Cl, but then also decrease further down group 17. On the other hand, HX and X(2) show clearly opposite trends regarding the heat of reaction: that of HX becomes more exothermic and that of X(2) less exothermic as X descends in group 17. Relativistic effects can be as large as 15-20 kcal/mol but they do not change the qualitative trends. Interestingly, the influence of relativistic effects on activation barriers and heats of reaction decreases for the heavier halogens due to counteracting relativistic effects in palladium and the halogens.     

Model studies of hydrogen atom addition and abstraction processes involving ortho-, meta-, and para-benzynes.

H-atom addition and abstraction processes involving ortho-, meta-, and para-benzyne have been investigated by multiconfigurational self-consistent field methods. The H(A) + H(B)...H(C) reaction (where r(BC) is adjusted to mimic the appropriate singlet-triplet energy gap) is shown to effectively model H-atom addition to benzyne. The doublet multiconfiguration wave functions are shown to mix the "singlet" and "triplet" valence bond structures of H(B)...H(C) along the reaction coordinate; however, the extent of mixing is dependent on the singlet-triplet energy gap (DeltaE(ST)) of the H(B)...H(C) diradical. Early in the reaction, the ground-state wave function is essentially the "singlet" VB function, yet it gains significant "triplet" VB character along the reaction coordinate that allows H(A)-H(B) bond formation. Conversely, the wave function of the first excited state is predominantly the "triplet" VB configuration early in the reaction coordinate, but gains "singlet" VB character when the H-atom is close to a radical center. As a result, the potential energy surface (PES) for H-atom addition to triplet H(B)...H(C) diradical is repulsive! The H3 model predicts, in agreement with the actual calculations on benzyne, that the singlet diradical electrons are not coupled strongly enough to give rise to an activation barrier associated with C-H bond formation. Moreover, this model predicts that the PES for H-atom addition to triplet benzyne will be characterized by a repulsive curve early in the reaction coordinate, followed by a potential avoided crossing with the (pi)1(sigma*)1 state of the phenyl radical. In contrast to H-atom addition, large activation barriers characterize the abstraction process in both the singlet ground state and first triplet state. In the ground state, this barrier results from the weakly avoided crossing of the dominant VB configurations in the ground-state singlet (S0) and first excited singlet (S1) because of the large energy gap between S0 and S1 early in the reaction coordinate. Because the S1 state is best described as the combination of the triplet X-H bond and the triplet H(B)...H(C) spin couplings, the activation barrier along the S0 abstraction PES will have much less dependence on the DeltaE(ST) of H(B)...H(C) than previously speculated. For similar reasons, the T1 potential surface is quite comparable to the S0 PES.     

The reaction of cyclopentyne with ethene: concerted vs stepwise mechanism?

The cycloaddition of cyclopentyne with ethene was examined using (U)B3LYP and CASSCF methods to discern the reaction mechanism. (U)B3LYP/6-31G* and (U)B3LYP/6-311+G* slightly favor the concerted pathway, whereas CASSCF(4,4)/6-31G* and CASCF(6,6)/6-31G* favor the diradical pathway. MRMP2 using the CASSCF(4,4) wave function also favors the diradical mechanism. In the context of a diradical pathway, the experimentally observed complete retention of stereochemistry for this reaction is understood in terms of stereochemical control resulting from dynamic effects.     

Modelling propagation in cationic polymerization

Propagation in cationic polymerization is modelled by ethene homopolymerization. Cationization and three propagation steps are investigated by the MINDO/3 method employing complete and partial optimization of geometry. A potential energy surface is calculated describing the first propagation step, the nucleophilic attack of ethene on an ethyl cation. The results indicate a reactant-like activated complex and three energetic minima representing structures of the products for both the first and the second propagation step. The thermodynamic foundation of polyreactions is well reflected both with and without consideration of statistic-thermodynamic calculations.     

A computational study of the reaction of ground-state nitrogen atoms with chloromethyl radicals

A computational study of the N(4S) + CH2Cl reaction has been carried out. The first step of the reaction is the formation of an initial intermediate (NCH2Cl), which is relatively stable and does not involve any energy barrier. The two most exothermic products are those resulting from the release of a chlorine atom, H2C=N + Cl and trans-HC=NH + Cl. A kinetic study within the framework of the statistical theories suggests that the kinetically preferred product is also the most exothermic one. This is in contrast with the analogue reaction of nitrogen atoms with CH2F, where the preferred product from both thermodynamic and kinetic points of view is HFCN + H. Therefore, reactions of nitrogen atoms with chloromethyl radicals release chlorine atoms as major products. The rate coefficient for the title reaction is estimated to be about 3.09 x 10(-13) cm3 s(-1) molecule(-1) at 300 K, a value four times smaller than the rate coefficient for its fluorine analogue.