Basis set and correlation effects on computed proton affinities of some oxygen and nitrogen bases

Basis set expansion and correlation effects on the computed proton affinities of the oxygen and nitrogen bases CH₃OH, H₂CO, CO, CH₃NH₂, CH₂NH, and HCN have been evaluated. Basis set enhancements lead to systematic changes in computed proton affinities. These effects appear to be additive, and are greater for correlated proton affinities than for Hartree-Fock energies. Inclusion of correlation decreases proton affinities, with fourth-order Møller-Plesset energies bracketed by second and third order energies.     

Proton and lithium cation affinities calculated with floating orbital geometry optimization (FOGO)

The FOGO method is used to calculate proton affinities and lithium cation affinities. The molecules of primary interest in this study are the methyl-substituted amines. In addition, the lithium cation affinity of HF, H₂O, CH₃OH, H₂CO, and HCN are calculated for comparison. Geometries of all species are fully optimized with a double-zeta (DZ) basis set, including polarization on hydrogen and the first-row elements by floating orbitals. Comparison with experimental values demonstrates that structural data and proton affinities resulting from this type of ab initio calculation are of chemical accuracy. The lithium cation affinities are also reasonably well reproduced, but the small experimental differences are not within the accuracy, which can be expected from this type of calculation.     

Basis set dependence of correlation corrections to protonation energies

The protonation energies of NH₃ and H₂O have been computed using a variety of basis sets. It is found that the effect of election correlation on these energies cannot reliably be determined without the use of large (triple-split and polarized) basis sets.     

Basis set and correlation effects on computed positive ion hydrogen bond energies of the complexes AHn · AHn + 1+1: AHn = NH3, OH2, and FH

Basis set expansion and correlation effects on computed hydrogen bond energies of the positive ion complexes AH_n · AH_{n + 1}⁺¹, for AH_n = NH₃, OH₂ and FH, have been evaluated. The addition of diffuse functions on nonhydrogen atoms is the single most important enhancement of split-valence plus polarization basis sets for computing hydrogen bond energies. Basis set enhancement effects appear to be additive in these systems. The correlation energy contribution to the stabilization energies of these complexes is significant, with the second order term being the largest term and having a stabilizing effect. The third order term is smaller and of opposite sign, while the fourth order term is smaller yet and stabilizing. As a result, computed MP4 stabilization energies are bracketed by the MP2 and MP3 energies. The overall effect of basis set enhancement is to decrease hydrogen bond energies, whereas the addition of electron correlation increases stabilization energies.     

Theoretical study of substituent effects on the acidity of the methyl group: Structure of anions CH2X−

Geometries have been optimized using molecular-orbital calculations (a) with a 4-31G Gaussian basis set for carbanions CH₂X^? where X = H, CH₃, NH₂, OH, F, C?CH, CH?CH₂, CHO, COCH₃, CN, and NO₂; and (b) with an STO -3G basis set for methyl acetate and acetyl deprotonated methyl acetate. All the carbanions containing unsaturated substituents are planar, with a considerable shortening of the C? X bond. Carbanions containing saturated substituents are pyramidal with the out-of-plane angle α increasing with the electronegativity of the substituent. Double-zeta basis set calculations give proton affinities over the range 449 (for CH₃CH₂^?) to 355 kcal/mol (for CH₂NO₂^?), with all unsaturated anions having smaller affinities than saturated anions. The correlation of proton affinities with 1s binding energies, and with charges on both the carbon of the anion and on the acidic proton of the neutral molecule are examined.     

Photoexcitation and photodissociation lasers. III. mechanisms of CO laser emission from the vacuum UV photodissociation of CH2COO2 and CH2COSO2 mixtures

CO laser emission was detected in the vacuum UV flash photolysis of CH₂CO. The emission is attributed to the initial photodissociation reaction

Addition of O₂ to the CH₂CO system caused a pronounced enhancement in the laser intensity. This effect is believed to be due to the removal of the CH₂ + CH₂CO reaction, which produces uninverted CO molecules. A greater laser output was obtained when SO₂ was used instead of O₂. In the O₂-added system, a total of 16 transitions ranging from Δv(8→7) to (4→3) were identified. Addition of SO₂ increased the total number of lines to 34, lasing in the range between (11→10) and (4→3). This enhancement is ascribed to the occurrence of the reaction

In addition to these chemical effects, the effects of flash energy, inert gases and total pressures have been investigated.     

Geometry optimization in ab initio SCF calculations. VII. Proton affinities and ion structures calculated with floating orbital geometry optimization (FOGO)

The FOGO method is used to calculate absolute proton affinities of the molecules H₂, HF, NH₃, H₂O, CH₃OH, C₂H₅OH, H₂O₂, CH₂O, CO, and CH₂CO. Comparison with experimental values demonstrates that the geometrical and energetical data resulting from this type of ab initio calculation are of chemical accuracy. Predictive data for higher energy isomers, such as hydroxymethylene and ethynol are given as possible aid for the identification of these species.     

Geometry,basis set,and correlation energy dependence of computed protonation energies of imino bases

The nitrogen protonation energies of the imino bases HN?CHR, where R is H, CH₃, NH₂, OH, and F, have been evaluated to determine the dependence of absolute and relative protonation energies on geometry, basis set, and correlation effects. Reliable absolute protonation energies require a basis set larger than a split-valence plus polarization basis, the inclusion of correlation, and optimized geometries of at least Hartree–Fock 4-31G quality. Consistent relative protonation energies can be obtained at the Hartree–Fock level with smaller basis sets. Extending the split-valence basis set by the addition of polarization functions on all atoms decreases the computed absolute Hartree–Fock nitrogen protonation energies of the imino bases HN?CHR except when R is F, but increases the oxygen protonation energies of the carbonyl bases O?CHR.     

Geometry,basis set,and correlation energy dependence of computed protonation energies of carbonyl bases

The protonation energies of H₂CO and its monosubstituted derivatives RCHO, where R is CH₃, NH₂, OH, and F, have been evaluated at various levels of theory to determine the dependence of absolute and relative protonation energies on geometry, basis set, and correlation effects. Reliable absolute protonation energies require at least a basis set as large as 6-31G7, the inclusion of correlation, and optimized Hartree—Fock 6-31G1 geometries. Consistent relative protonation energies can be obtained at the Hartree—Fock level with smaller basis sets.     

Theoretical Study on the Reaction Mechanism of Ketene CH2CO with Isocyanate NCO Radical

The bimolecular single collision reaction potential energy surface of an isocyanate NCO radical with a ketene CH2CO molecule was investigated by means of B3LYP and QCISD（T） methods. The computed results indicate that two possible reaction channels exist on the surface. One is an addition-elimination reaction process, in which the CH2CO molecule is attacked by the nitrogen atom at its methylene carbon atom to lead to the formation of the intermediate OCNCH2CO followed by a C-C rupture channel to the products CH2NCO＋CO. The other is a direct hydrogen abstraction channel from CHzCO by the NCO radical to afford the products HCCO＋HNCO. Because of a higher barrier in the hydrogen abstraction reaction than in the addition-elimination reaction, the direct hydrogen abstraction pathway can only be considered as a secondary reaction channel in the reaction kinetics of NCO＋ CH2CO. The predicted results are in good agreement with previous experimental and theoretical investigations.     

Energetics of proton transfer between carbon atoms (H3CH ? CH3)−

Ab initio calculations were carried out to study the potential energy surface of (H₃C? H? CH₃)^?. The 6–31G* basis set is supplemented by a set of diffuse p functions on both C and H (with a range of exponents for the latter). The binding energy of CH₄ and CH₃^? to form the (H₃CH? CH₃)^? complex is about 2 kcal/mol, much smaller than for comparable ionic H-bonded systems involving O or N atoms. Nearly half of this interaction energy is due to correlation effects, computed at second and third orders of Møller-Plesset perturbation theory. Correlation is also responsible for substantial reductions in the energy barrier to proton transfer within the complex. This barrier is computed to be 13?15 kcal/mol at the MP3 level, depending upon the exponent used for the H p functions.     

An ab initio molecular orbital study of the protonation of amines

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations using an 8 ^s , 3 ^p ; 3 ^s Gaussian basis set, with contraction, have been used to study a series of primary amines XNH₂, where X = H, CH₃, OH, F, CN, CHO, and NO₂. The geometries of the corresponding ammonium ions have been optimised and the energy differences have been used to estimate relative proton affinities. The 1 ^s orbital energies for both the amines and ammonium ions, when corrected for the effects of charges on the other atoms in the molecule by use of an ESCA equation, give a good correlation with the computed charge on the nitrogen atom.     

Mechanism and Rate Constants of the CH3+ CH2CO Reaction: A Theoretical Study

The mechanism of the reaction of ketene with methyl radical has been studied by ab initio CCSD(T)‐F12/cc‐pVQZ‐f12//B2PLYPD3/6‐311G** calculations of the potential energy surface. Temperature‐ and pressure‐dependent reaction rate constants have been computed using the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM)–Master Equation and transition state theory methods. Three main channels have been shown to dominate the reaction; the formation of the collisionally stabilized CH₃COCH₂ radical and the production of the C₂H₅ + CO and HCCO + CH₄ bimolecular products. Relative contributions of the CH₃COCH₂, C₂H₅ + CO, and HCCO + CH₄ channels strongly depend on the reaction conditions; the formation of thermalized CH₃COCH₂ is favored at low temperatures and high pressures, HCCO + CH₄ is dominant at high temperatures, whereas the yield of C₂H₅ + CO peaks at intermediate temperatures around 1000 K. The C₂H₅ + CO channel is favored by a decrease in pressure but remains the second most important reaction pathway after HCCO + CH₄ under typical flame conditions. The calculated rate constants at different pressures are proposed for kinetic modeling of ketene reactions in combustion in the form of modified Arrhenius expressions. Only rate constant to form CH₃COCH₂ depends on pressure, whereas those to produce C₂H₅ + CO and HCCO + CH₄ appeared to be pressure independent.     

Mechanism and rate constants of the CH2 + CH2CO reactions in triplet and singlet states: A theoretical study

Ab initio and density functional CCSD(T)-F12/cc-pVQZ-f12//B2PLYPD3/6-311G** calculations have been performed to unravel the reaction mechanism of triplet and singlet methylene CH₂ with ketene CH₂CO. The computed potential energy diagrams and molecular properties have been then utilized in Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus-Master Equation (RRKM-ME) calculations of the reaction rate constants and product branching ratios combined with the use of nonadiabatic transition state theory for spin-forbidden triplet-singlet isomerization. The results indicate that the most important channels of the reaction of ketene with triplet methylene lead to the formation of the HCCO + CH₃ and C₂H₄ + CO products, where the former channel is preferable at higher temperatures from 1000 K and above. In the C₂H₄ + CO product pair, the ethylene molecule can be formed either adiabatically in the triplet electronic state or via triplet-singlet intersystem crossing in the singlet electronic state occurring in the vicinity of the CH₂COCH₂ intermediate or along the pathway of CO elimination from the initial CH₂CH₂CO complex. The predominant products of the reaction of ketene with singlet methylene have been shown to be C₂H₄ + CO. The formation of these products mostly proceeds via a well-skipping mechanism but at high pressures may to some extent involve collisional stabilization of the CH₃CHCO and cyclic CH₂COCH₂ intermediates followed by their thermal unimolecular decomposition. The calculated rate constants at different pressures from 0.01 to 100 atm have been fitted by the modified Arrhenius expressions in the temperature range of 300–3000 K, which are proposed for kinetic modeling of ketene reactions in combustion. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Reductive opening of 2,7-dihydrodinaphthoxepine and thiepine: easy regioselective preparation of 2,2′-difunctionalised binaphthyls

The lithiation of 2,7-dihydrodinaphthoheteroepines (5) with 2.2 equiv of lithium naphthalenide in THF at −78 °C gives dianionic intermediates 8, which by reaction with different electrophiles [H₂O, D₂O, ^tBuCHO, Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₄CO, (CH₂)₅CO] at the same temperature, followed by hydrolysis, leads to unsymmetrically 2,2′-disubstituted binaphthyls 6. When the lithiation is performed with an excess of lithium in the presence of a catalytic amount of 4,4′-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB, 10 mol %), a double reductive cleavage takes place to give dianionic intermediate 9, which by reaction with different electrophiles [H₂O, Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₄CO, (CH₂)₅CO], followed by hydrolysis with water, yields symmetrically 2,2′-disubstituted binaphthyls 7. In the case of starting from (R)-5a, the reductive opening by treatment with 2.2 equiv of lithium naphthalenide followed by reaction with H₂O or (CH₂)₅CO as electrophiles and final hydrolysis, leads to enantiomerically pure compounds (R)-6aa and (R)-6af, respectively.     

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).     

Reductive ring opening of dihydrodibenzothiepine and dihydrodinaphtho-oxepine and -thiepine

The 4,4′di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB)-catalysed lithiation of dihydrodibenzothiepine (1) at −78 °C for 30 min followed by reaction with a carbonyl compound [^tBuCHO, Ph(CH₂)₂CHO, PhCHO, (n-C₅H₁₁)₂CO, (CH₂)₅CO, (CH₂)₇CO, (−)-menthone] at the same temperature leads, after hydrolysis with 3 M hydrochloric acid, to sulphanyl alcohols 2. If after addition of a carbonyl compound as the first electrophile [Me₂CO, (CH₂)₅CO, (−)-menthone], the resulting dianion of type II is allowed to react at room temperature for 30 min, a second lithiation takes place to give an intermediate of type III, which by reaction with a second electrophile [Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₅CO, ClCO₂Et], yields, after hydrolysis, difunctionalised byphenyls 4. The cyclisation of the sulphanyl alcohol 2c under acidic conditions yields the eight-membered sulphur containing heterocycle 3. The lithiation of dihydrodinaphthoheteroepines 7 and 10 with 2.2 equiv of lithium naphthalenide in THF at −78 °C followed by reaction with different electrophiles [H₂O, D₂O, ^tBuCHO, Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₄CO, (CH₂)₅CO] at the same temperature leads, after hydrolysis, to unsymmetrically 2,2′-disubstituted binaphthyls 9 and 12, respectively. When the lithiation is performed with an excess of lithium in the presence of a catalytic amount of DTBB (10% molar), a double reductive cleavage takes place to give the dianionic intermediate VII, which by reaction with different electrophiles [H₂O, Me₂CO, Et₂CO, (CH₂)₄CO, (CH₂)₅CO], followed by hydrolysis with water, yields symmetrically 2,2′-disubstituted binaphthyls 8 and 11. In the case of starting from (R)- or (S)-dihydrodinaphthoheteroepines 7 and 10, these methodologies allow us to prepare enantiomerically pure compounds 8, 11 and 12.     

Experiments and Calculations on Photoionization and Dissociative Photoionization of CH2CO

The dissociative photoionization of molecular‐beam cooled CH₂CO in a region of ?10–20 eV was investigated with photoionization mass spectrometry using a synchrotron radiation as the light source. Photoionization efficiency curves of CH₂CO⁺ and of observed fragment ions CH₂⁺, CHCO⁺, HCO⁺, C₂O⁺, CO⁺, and C₂H₂⁺ were measured to determine their appearance energies. Relative branching ratios as a function of photon energy were determined. Energies for formation of these observed fragment ions and their neutral counterparts upon ionization of CH₂CO are computed with the Gaussian‐3 method. Dissociative photoionization channels associated with six observed fragment ions are proposed based on comparison of determined appearance energies and predicted energies. The principal dissociative processes are direct breaking of C=C and C‐H bonds to form CH₂⁺ + CO and CHCO⁺ + H, respectively; at greater energies, dissociation involving H migration takes place.     

CO hydrogenation on stepped Cu and CuZn alloy surfaces: Competition between methanol synthesis and methanation pathways

Comprehensive fundamental understanding of CO hydrogenation reactions over Cu and ZnCu alloy surfaces is of great importance. Herein, we report a comparative DFT calculation study of elementary surface reaction network of CO hydrogenation reactions on stepped Cu(211), Cu(611), ZnCu(211) and ZnCu(611) surfaces. On ZnCu(211) and ZnCu(611) surfaces, the energetic favorable reaction path of CO hydrogenation reaction follows CO* → HCO* → H₂CO* → H₃CO* → CH₃OH* → CH₃OH with H₃CO* hydrogenation as the rate-limiting step and proceeds more facilely on ZnCu(611) surface than on ZnCu(211) surface. On Cu(211) and Cu(611) surfaces, the energetic favorable reaction path of CO hydrogenation reaction follows CO* → HCO* → HCOH* → H₂COH* → H₃COH* → CH₃* → CH₄* → CH₄ with H₂COH* hydrogenation as the rate-limiting step and proceeds more facilely on Cu(611) than on Cu(211). The key difference of CO hydrogenation reaction on ZnCu alloy surface and Cu is that the resulting CH₃OH* species desorbs to produce CH₃OH on ZnCu alloy but undergoes H*-assisted decomposition to CH₃* and eventually to CH₄ on Cu surface. These results successfully unveil elementary surface reaction networks and structure sensitivity of Cu and ZnCu alloy-catalyzed CO hydrogenation reactions.