Band‐Gap Manipulations of Monolayer Graphene by Phenyl Radical Adsorptions: A Density Functional Theory Study

Phenyl radical (Ph^.) adsorption on monolayer graphene sheets is used to investigate the band‐gap manipulation of graphene through density functional theory. Adsorption of a single Ph^. on graphene breaks the aromatic π‐bond and generates an unpaired electron, which is delocalized to the ortho or para position. Adsorption of a second radical at the ortho or para position saturates the radical by electron pairing and results in semiconducting graphene. Adsorption of a second radical at the ortho position (ortho–ortho pairing) is found to be more favorable than adsorption at the para position (ortho–para pairing), and the ortho–ortho pairing has stronger effects on band‐gap opening compared with ortho–para pairing. Adsorption of even numbers of Ph^. on graphene by ortho–ortho and ortho–para pairings, in general, increases the band gap. Our study shows promise of band‐gap manipulation in monolayer graphene by Ph^. adsorption, leading to potential wider applications of graphene.     

DFT and MP2 molecular orbital determination of OH–toluene–O2 isomeric structures in the atmospheric oxidation of toluene

We have performed an exhaustive theoretical study, using a density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio techniques, of the possible isomers of the OH–toluene–O₂ radical. DFT calculations of the all electron type using the hybrid B3LYP approach and 6‐31G* orbital basis set were employed. In addition to the well‐established ortho position, addition of OH at C₁ on the benzene ring of toluene was also considered for the initial methylhydroxycyclohexadienyl adduct. In all, 28 different intermediate structures of the OH–toluene–O₂ system, consisting of peroxyl radicals, bicyclic structures, and epoxides, have been explored through fully optimized electronic structure calculations. Starting from the 1,3‐O₂‐methylorthohydroxycyclohexadienyl radical, or ortho‐OH adduct, several peroxyl radicals are found to have low‐lying structures contained within a small energy range (about 1 kcal/mol). Only two bicyclic structures are stable with respect to the methylhydroxycyclohexadienyl radical plus O₂, one of them being clearly favored. The four possible epoxy structures are all found to lie more than 15 kcal/mol lower than any of their peroxyl and bicyclic isomers. The preference, first noted by Bartolotti and Edney, for structures in which the OH group lies on the same side of the ring as the O₂ group, is obeyed in all cases. If the 1‐CH₃, 1‐OH cyclohexadienyl radical (or C₁–OH adduct) is used as the initial adduct, three peroxyl radicals are expected to be formed, while two bicyclic structure and three epoxides need to be considered. These structures are found to be, in general, less stable than the ones arising from the ortho adduct. However, the 4‐O, 2,3‐epoxy, 1,1‐methylhydroxycyclohexadienyl radical is found to be the most stable of all the isomers considered, and this, by more than 3 kcal/mol. In this work, most structures were also calculated with the MP2 method with a 6‐31G* basis set. The geometries obtained with the two methods are similar. Contrary to the B3LYP method, MP2 always yields an extra stability to structures in which the C₁ carbon atom has sp³ hybridization. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 716–730, 2000     

Theoretical study of thermal rearrangements of α‐silylalcohols: Effects of substituents attached to the silicon atom on the reactions

To investigate the effects of substituents attached to the silicon atom on the thermal rearrangement reactions of α‐silyl alcohols, the thermal rearrangement reactions of dimethylsilyl methanol (CH₃)₂SiHCH₂OH and vinylsilyl methanol CH₂?CHSiH₂CH₂OH were studied by ab initio calculations at the G3 level. Geometries of various stationary points were fully optimized at the MP2(full)/6‐31G(d) and MP2(full)/6‐311G(d,p) levels, and harmonic vibrational frequencies were calculated at the same levels. The reaction paths were investigated and confirmed by intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations at the MP2(full)/6‐31G(d) level. The results show that two dyotropic reactions could occur when (CH₃)₂SiHCH₂OH or CH₂?CHSiH₂CH₂OH is heated. One is Brook rearrangement reaction (reaction A), and the dimethylsilyl or vinylsilyl groups migrates from carbon atom to oxygen atom coupled with a simultaneous migration of a hydrogen atom from oxygen atom to carbon atom passing through a double three‐membered ring transition state, forming dimethylmethoxylsilane (CH₃)₂SiHOCH₃ or methoxylvinylsilane CH₂?CHSiH₂OCH₃; the other is a hydroxyl group migration (reaction B) from carbon atom to silicon atom, coupled with a simultaneous migration of a hydrogen atom from silicon atom to carbon atom, via a double three‐membered ring transition state, forming trimethylsilanol (CH₃)₃SiOH or methylvinylsilanol CH₃SiH(OH)CH?CH₂. The G3 barriers of the reactions A and B were computed to be 312.8 and 241.4 kJ/mol for (CH₃)₂SiHCH₂OH, and 317.6 and 233.7 kJ/mol for CH₂?CHSiH₂CH₂OH, respectively. On the basis of the MP2(full)/6‐31G(d) optimized parameters, vibrational frequencies, and G3 energies, the reaction rate constants k(T) and equilibrium constants K(T) were calculated using canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with centrifugal‐dominant small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) approximation over a temperature range of 400–1800 K. The influences of methyl and vinyl groups attached to the silicon atom on reactions are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Theoretical and experimental interpretations of phenol oxidation by the hydroxyl radical

Phenol oxidation by OH radicals produced by the Fenton reaction was studied and the oxidation process was monitored by the UV–visible, ¹³C NMR and LC techniques. The results show that benzoquinone is formed. In the NMR and LC experiments, since the peaks corresponding to isomers ortho and para- benzoquinones are unresolved, DFT was used to determine the branching ratios of the isomers formation that coincides with their ΔG values (ortho > para > meta): 72% for ortho, 23% for para and 5.0% for meta. Furthermore, the energy profile of the OH attack at ortho is quite similar to that at the para position while the meta position attack is less favored by 2.0 kcal/mol.     

A DFT study of proton transfers for the reaction of phenol and hydroxyl radical leading to dihydroxybenzene and H2O in the water cluster

Reactions of phenol and hydroxyl radical were studied under the aqueous environment to investigate the antioxidant characters of phenolic compounds. M06‐2X/6‐311 + G(d,p) calculations were carried out, where proton transfers via water molecules were examined carefully. Stepwise paths from phenol + OH^• + (H₂O)_n (n = 3, 7, and 12) to the phenoxyl radical (Ph O^•) via dihydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals (ipso, ortho, meta, and para OH‐adducts) were obtained. In those paths, the water dimer was computed to participate in the bond interchange along hydrogen bonds. The concerted path corresponding to the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT, apparently Ph OH + OH^• → Ph O^• + H₂O) was found. In the path, the hydroxyl radical located on the ipso carbon undergoes the charge transfer to prompt the proton (not hydrogen) transfer. While the present new mechanism is similar to the sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) one, the former is of the concerted character. Tautomerization reactions of ortho or para (OH)C₆H₅=O + (H₂O)_n → C₆H₄(OH)₂(H₂O)_n were traced with n = 2, 3, 4, and 14. The n = 3 (and n = 14) model of ortho and para was calculated to be most likely by the strain‐less hydrogen‐bond circuit.     

Theoretical study on the reaction of the phenoxy radical with O2, OH,and NO2

Unlike the chemistry underlying the self‐coupling of phenoxy (C₆H₅O) radicals, there are very limited kinetics data at elevated temperatures for the reaction of the phenoxy radical with other species. In this study, we investigate the addition reactions of O_2, OH, and NO₂ to the phenoxy radical. The formation of a phenoxy‐peroxy is found to be very slow with a rate constant fitted to k = 1.31 × 10^?20T^2.49 exp (?9300/T) cm³/mol/s in the temperature range of (298–2,000 K) where the addition occurs predominantly at the ortho site. Our rate constant is in line with the consensus of opinions in the literature pointing to the observation of no discernible reaction between the oxygen molecule and the resonance‐stabilized phenoxy radical. Addition of OH at the ortho and para sites of the phenoxy radical is found to afford adducts with sizable well depths of 59.8 and 56.0 kcal/mol, respectively. The phenoxy‐NO₂ bonds are found to be among the weakest known phenoxy‐radical bonds (1.7–8.7 kcal/mol). OH‐ and O₂‐initiated mechanisms for the degradation of atmospheric phenoxy appear to be negligible and the fate of atmospheric phenoxy is found to be controlled by its reaction with NO₂. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Barrier heights for H‐atom abstraction by HȮ2 from n‐butanol—A simple yet exacting test for model chemistries?

The barrier heights involved in the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from n‐butanol by the hydroperoxyl radical have been computed with both compound (CBS‐QB3, CBS‐APNO, G3) and coupled cluster methods. In particular, the benchmark computations CCSD(T)/cc‐pVTZ//MP2/6‐311G(d,p) were used to determine that the barrier heights increase in the order α <γ < β < δ < OH. Two prereaction hydrogen‐bonded complexes are formed, one of which connects the TGt conformer of n‐butanol to the α and β transition states and the other connects to the γ and OH channels from the TGg conformer. Four postreaction complexes were also found which link the transition states to the products, hydrogen peroxide + C₄H₉O radical. Abstraction from the terminal δ carbon atom does not involve either a pre or postreaction complex. A number of DFT functionals—B3LYP, BMK, MPWB1K, BB1K, MPW1K, and M05‐2X—were tested to see whether the correct ranking could be obtained with computationally less expensive methods. Only the later functional predicts the correct order but requires a basis set of 6‐311++G(df,pd) to achieve this. However, the absolute values obtained do not agree that well with the benchmarks; the composite G3 method predicts the correct order and comes closest (≤ 2 kJ, mol ^?1) in absolute numerical terms for H‐abstraction from carbon. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Kinetics of the hydrogen abstraction reactions of 1,1‐ and 1,2‐difluoroethane with hydroxyl radical: an ab initio study

The hydrogen abstraction reactions of 1,1‐ and 1,2‐difluoroethane with the OH radical have been investigated by the ab initio molecular orbital theory. The geometries of the reactants, products, and transition states have been optimized at the (U)MP2=full level of theory in conjunction with 6‐311G(d,p) basis functions. Single‐point (U)MP2=full with larger basis set, such as 6‐311G(3d,2p), and QCISD(T)=full/6‐311G(d,p) calculations have also been carried out to observe the effects of basis sets utilized and higher order electron correlation. Three and four reaction channels have been identified for 1,1‐ and 1,2‐difluoroethane, respectively. In the case of 1,1‐difluoroethane, hydrogen abstraction from the α‐carbon has been found to be easier than that from the β‐carbon. The barriers of the four reaction channels for 1,2‐difluoroethane are close to each other. Weak hydrogen bonding interactions have been observed between hydroxyl hydrogen and a fluorine atom in the transition states. Rate constants for the reactions of 1,1‐ and 1,2‐difluoroethane with the OH radical have been calculated using the standard transition state theory and found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 21: 1305–1318, 2000     

A ‘meta effect’ in the fragmentation reactions of ionised alkyl phenols and alkyl anisoles

The competition between benzylic cleavage (simple bond fission [SBF]) and retro‐ene rearrangement (RER) from ionised ortho, meta and para RC₆H₄OH and RC₆H₄OCH₃ (R = n‐C₃H₇, n‐C₄H₉, n‐C₅H₁₁, n‐C₇H₁₅, n‐C₉H₁₉, n‐C₁₅H₃₁) is examined. It is observed that the SBF/RER ratio is significantly influenced by the position of the substituent on the aromatic ring. As a rule, phenols and anisoles substituted by an alkyl group in meta position lead to more abundant methylene‐2,4‐cyclohexadiene cations (RER fragmentation) than their ortho and para homologues. This ‘meta effect’ is explained on the basis of energetic and kinetic of the two reaction channels. Quantum chemistry computations have been used to provide estimate of the thermochemistry associated with these two fragmentation routes. G3B3 calculation shows that a hydroxy or a methoxy group in the meta position destabilises the SBF and stabilises the RER product ions. Modelling of the SBF/RER intensities ratio has been performed assuming two single reaction rates for both fragmentation processes and computing them within the statistical RRKM formalism in the case of ortho, meta and para butyl phenols. It is clearly demonstrated that, combining thermochemistry and kinetics, the inequality (SBF/RER)_meta < (SBF/RER)_ortho < (SBF/RER)_para holds for the butyl phenols series. It is expected that the ‘meta effect’ described in this study enables unequivocal identification of meta isomers from ortho and para isomers not only of alkyl phenols and alkyl anisoles but also in other alkyl benzene series. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High‐throughput salting‐out‐assisted liquid–liquid extraction for the simultaneous determination of atorvastatin,ortho‐hydroxyatorvastatin,and para‐hydroxyatorvastatin in human plasma using ultrafast liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

A high‐throughput, specific, and rapid liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was established and validated for the simultaneous determination of atorvastatin and its two major metabolites, ortho‐hydroxyatorvastatin and para‐hydroxyatorvastatin, in human plasma. A simple salting‐out‐assisted liquid–liquid extraction using acetonitrile and a mass‐spectrometry‐friendly salt, ammonium acetate, was employed to extract the analytes from human plasma. A recovery of more than 81% for all analytes was achieved in 1 min extraction time. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Kinetex XB C₁₈ column utilizing a gradient elution starting with a 60% of water solution (1% formic acid), followed by increasing percentages of acetonitrile. Analytes were detected on a tandem mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source that was operated in the positive mode, using the transitions of m/z 559.3 → m/z 440.2 for atorvastatin, and m/z 575.3 → m/z 440.2 for both ortho‐ and para‐hydroxyatorvastatin. Deuterium‐labeled compounds were used as the internal standards. The method was validated over the concentration ranges of 0.0200–15.0 ng/mL for atorvastatin and ortho‐hydroxyatorvastatin, and 0.0100–2.00 ng/mL for para‐hydroxyatorvastatin with acceptable accuracy and precision. It was then successfully applied in a bioequivalence study of atorvastatin.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation of substituted benzaldehydes by hexamethylenetetramine‐bromine

The oxidation of thirty‐six monosubstituted benzaldehydes by hexa‐methylenetetramine‐bromine (HABR), in aqueous acetic acid solution, leads to the formation of the corresponding benzoic acids. The reaction is first order with respect to HABR. Michaelis‐Menten–type kinetics were observed with respect to aldehyde. The reaction failed to induce the polymerization of acrylonitrile. There is no effect of hexamethylenetetramine on the reaction rate. The oxidation of [²H]benzaldehyde (PhCDO) indicated the presence of a substantial kinetic isotope effect. The effect of solvent composition indicated that the reaction rate increases with an increase in the polarity of the solvent. The rates of oxidation of meta‐ and para‐substituted benzaldehydes showed excellent correlations in terms of Charton's triparametric LDR equation, whereas the oxidation of ortho‐substituted benzaldehydes correlated well with tetraparametric LDRS equation. The oxidation of para‐substituted benzaldehydes is more susceptible to the delocalization effect but the oxidation of ortho‐ and meta‐substituted compounds displayed a greater dependence on the field effect. The positive value of γ suggests the presence of an electron‐deficient reaction center in the rate‐determining step. The reaction is subjected to steric acceleration when ortho‐substituents are present. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 615–622, 2000     

The Atmospheric Oxidation Mechanism of Benzyl Alcohol Initiated by OH Radicals: The Addition Channels

Benzyl alcohol (BA) is present in indoor atmospheres, where it reacts with OH radicals and undergoes further oxidation. A theoretical study is carried out to elucidate the reaction mechanism and to identify the main products of the oxidation of BA that is initiated by OH radicals. The reaction is found to proceed by H‐abstraction from the CH₂ group (25 %) and addition to the ipso (60 %) and ortho (15 %) positions of the aromatic ring. The BA–OH adducts react further with O₂ via the bicyclic radical intermediates—the same way as for benzene—forming mainly 3‐hydroxy‐2‐oxopropanal and butenedial. If NO_x is low, the bicyclic peroxy radicals undergo intramolecular H‐migration, forming products containing OH, OOH, and CH₂OH/CHO functional groups, and contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation.     

Density Functional Theory Study on the Nitration of Halobenzene by Nitronium Ion

The rate determining steps of isomeric ortho, meta and para nitrations of fluorobenzene and chlorobenzene have been theoretically investigated at the B3LYP/6‐311G* level. Stationary points of the step involving reactant, transition state and intermediate complexes were successfully located and characterized without any restriction on the internal coordinates. Their molecular geometries, electronic structures, IR spectra, and the FMO symmetries of two initial aromatic compounds and the NO₂⁺ suggest that the halogens are ortho‐para directive, and also activating substituents in the gas phase. The blue shift of the C‐N stretching vibration and the red shift of the tetrahedral C‐H stretching vibration from transition state to Wheland intermediate demonstrate that the formation of the C‐N and the cleavage of the C‐H are not concerted but stepwise at the rate determining step. This provides theoretical evidence for the experimental fact of the absence of primary kinetic isotopic effect in most aromatic nitration reactions. The fully optimized geometries of nitro‐chlorobenzene complexes show that the C‐Cl bond in nitro‐chlorobenzene complexes become much shorter than in chlorobenzene molecules and appears as a double bond. On the contrary, the C‐F bond in nitro‐fluorobenzene complexes is still a single bond, and even lengthens slightly as the NO₂⁺ moves toward the fluorobenzene. This reveals that there is a special interaction, namely inductomeric effect, between the chlorine and nitro group in nitro‐chlorobenzene complexes. The inductomeric effect may cause a marked increase in the percentage of ortho product for the nitration of chlorobenzene.     

Substituent Effect on N-Benzylideneanilines by DFT Energy Partition

To investigate the substituent effect on x-electron delocalization of the N-benzylideneaniline （NBA）, the vertical resonance energies △E^V（θ） of eleven substituted NBAs were separated into n and a parts at the B3LYP/6-311G（d） level of the Density Functional Theory （DFT）. When substituted with an electron-releasing group --OH, the calculated △E^V（θ） of NBA was increased, indicative of more resonance destabilization than the mother molecule. However, when substituted with an electron-withdrawing group -NO2, the calculated △E^V（θ） values indicated less resonance destabilization. The most destabilizing effect was observed especially when the -OH group located at the ortho-position of the aromatic ring in the fragment -N=CH-Ar. For most of the substituted NBA molecules, it was the destabilized a framework that determined the destabilizing feature of the vertical resonance energy, instead of the stabilized n system. When the -NO2 substituent at the para-position of the aromatic ring of the -N=CH-Ar group, the π system had the highest stabilizing effect while the σ framework exhibited the highest destabilizing effect. While the -NO2 substituent was at the para-position of the left aromatic ring （At-）, the NBA had the least vertical resonance energy value.     

Competitive homolytic and heterolytic decomposition pathways of gas‐phase negative ions generated from aminobenzoate esters

An alkyl‐radical loss and an alkene loss are two competitive fragmentation pathways that deprotonated aminobenzoate esters undergo upon activation under mass spectrometric conditions. For the meta and para isomers, the alkyl‐radical loss by a homolytic cleavage of the alkyl‐oxygen bond of the ester moiety is the predominant fragmentation pathway, while the contribution from the alkene elimination by a heterolytic pathway is less significant. In contrast, owing to a pronounced charge‐mediated ortho effect, the alkene loss becomes the predominant pathway for the ortho isomers of ethyl and higher esters. Results from isotope‐labeled compounds confirmed that the alkene loss proceeds by a specific γ‐hydrogen transfer mechanism that resembles the McLafferty rearrangement for radical cations. Even for the para compounds, if the alkoxide moiety bears structural motifs required for the elimination of a more stable alkene molecule, the heterolytic pathway becomes the predominant pathway. For example, in the spectrum of deprotonated 2‐phenylethyl 4‐aminobenzoate, m/z 136 peak is the base peak because the alkene eliminated is styrene. Owing to the fact that all deprotonated aminobenzoate esters, irrespective of the size of the alkoxy group, upon activation fragment to form an m/z 135 ion, aminobenzoate esters in mixtures can be quantified by precursor ion discovery mass spectrometric experiments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemistry of novolac resins. X. Polymerization studies of HMTA and strategically synthesized model compounds

The reactions between hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and compounds which model novolac resins have been studied by ¹³C‐ and ¹⁵N‐NMR techniques. The dimer and tetramer compounds vary in molecular size and structure and react with HMTA to yield benzylamines and benzoxazine as the major initial‐formed intermediates and convert to methylene linked compounds at increased temperatures. The reaction of the compounds with only ortho reactive sites paralleled the 2,4‐xylenol–HMTA case reported by us previously; however, increasing molecular weight favored the formation of benzylamines and not benzoxazines. Those compounds with only para reactive sites paralleled the 2,6‐xylenol–HMTA case. The reactivity of the systems containing both ortho and para reactive sites depends on the ratio of ortho/para sites and various aspects such as the chemical structure and molecular weight of the compound, the HMTA level, and the melting point and pH of the system. These results parallel those obtained from novolac/HMTA systems. The xylenol/HMTA reactions formed similar products but showed quite different relative reaction rates by varying the HMTA ratio and structures of the materials. The importance of careful selection of model systems is also discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1347–1355, 1999     

Synthesis of novel rhodium‐xylyl linked N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes as hydrosilylation catalysts

Reaction of ortho‐xylylbis(N‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzylimidazolinium); xylylbis(N‐butylimidazolinium) and para‐xylylbis(N‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzylimidazolinium); xylylbis(N‐butylimidazolinium) salts with KOBu^t and [RhCl(COD)]₂ yields ortho‐ and para‐xylylbis{(N‐alkylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)chloro(η⁴‐1,5‐cyclooctadiene) rho dium(I)} complexes (2a–d). All compounds synthesized were characterized by elemental analysis and NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures of the 2a and 2d were determined by X‐ray crystallography. Triethylsilane reacts with acetophenone derivatives in the presence of catalytic amount of the new rhodium(I)–carbene complexes (2a–d), to give the corresponding silylethers in good yields (83–99%). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Origin of the Regioselectivity in the Gas‐Phase Aniline+CH3+ Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution

Nonadiabatic ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to monitor the attack of CH₃⁺ on aniline in the gas phase to form the corresponding σ complexes. The reaction is ultrafast and is governed by a single electron transfer within 30 fs, which involves two sequential conical intersections and finally produces a radical pair. Positive‐charge allocation in the aromatic compound is found to govern the substitution pattern in ortho, meta, or para position. Although the major products in the first step of the electrophilic aromatic substitution are the ortho and para σ complexes, initially 26 % of the simulated trajectories also form meta complexes, which then undergo H shifts, mainly to the para position.     

NO migration from N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosobenzene‐sulfonamide to 3,6‐dibromocarbazole: Concerted or stepwise reaction path?

The NO migration from N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosobenzene‐sulfonamide to 3,6‐dibromocarbazole was proposed in a recent literature to follow a stepwise reaction path. However, the present density functional theory calculations at the MP2/6–31G(d,p)//B3LYP/6–31G(d,p) level show that this reaction exclusively proceeds via a concerted mechanism involving a four‐membered ring transition state. The calculated barrier is in good agreement with the experimental finding. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Theoretical investigation on the detailed mechanism of the OH‐initiated atmospheric photooxidation of o‐xylene

The reaction mechanism for o‐xylene with OH radical and O₂ was studied by density functional theory (DFT) method. The geometries of the reactants, intermediates, transition states, and products were optimized at B3LYP/6‐31G(d,p) level. The corresponding vibration frequencies were calculated at the same level. The single‐point calculations for all the stationary points were carried out at the B3LYP/6‐311++G(2df,2pd) level using the B3LYP/6‐31G(d,p) optimized geometries. Reaction energies for the formation of the aromatic intermediate radicals have been obtained to determine their relative stability and reversibility, and their activation barriers have been analyzed to assess the energetically favorable pathways to propagate the o‐xylene oxidation. The results of the theoretical study indicate that OH addition to o‐xylene forms ipso, meta, and para isomers of o‐xylene‐OH adducts, and the ipso o‐xylene adduct is the most stable among these isomers. Oxygen is expected to add to the o‐xylene‐OH adducts forming o‐xylene peroxy radicals. And subsequent ring closure of the peroxyl radicals to form bicyclic radicals. With relatively low barriers, isomerization of the o‐xylene bicyclic radicals to more stable epoxide radicals likely occurs, competing with O₂ addition to form bicyclic peroxy radicals. The study provides thermochemical data for assessment of the photochemical production potential of ozone and formation of toxic products and secondary organic aerosol from o‐xylene photooxidation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008