Comparing electronic structure predictions for the ground state dissociation of vinoxy radicals

This paper reports a series of electronic structure calculations performed on the dissociation pathways of the vinoxy radical (CH(2)CHO). We use coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)), complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF), multireference configuration interaction (MRCI), and MRCI with the Davidson correction (MRCI+Q) to calculate the barrier heights of the two unimolecular dissociation pathways of this radical. The effect of state averaging on the barrier heights is investigated at the CASSCF, MRCI, and MRCI+Q levels. The change in mixing angle along the reaction path is calculated as a measure of derivative coupling and found to be insufficient to suggest nonadiabatic recrossing. We also present a new analysis of previous experimental data on the unimolecular dissociation of ground state vinoxy. In particular, an error in the internal energy distribution of vinoxy radicals reported in a previous paper is corrected and a new analysis of the experimental sensitivity to the onset energy (barrier height) for the isomerization reaction is given. Combining these studies, a final "worst case" analysis of the product branching ratio is given and a statistical model using each of the calculated transition states is found to be unable to correctly reproduce the experimental data.     

The C2H3 + O2 reaction revisited: is multireference treatment of the wave function really critical?

This letter revisits critical intermediates and transition states of the C2H3 + O2 reaction. To obtain their accurate relative energies, ab initio calculations are performed using sophisticated single and multireference theoretical methods with various basis sets. The energy difference between two crucial transition states, for ring opening in dioxiranylmethyl radical and its isomerization to C2H3OO, is calculated as approximately 2 kcal/mol both at multireference MRCI and at single-reference CCSD(T) levels extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. The deviation from the earlier G2M(RCC,MP2) value (approximately 7 kcal/mol) is caused by a deficiency of the 6-311+G(3df,2p) basis set as compared to correlation-consistent Dunning's basis sets.     

Prediction of product branching ratios in the C(3P)+C2H2-->l-C3H+H/c-C3H+H/C3+H2 reaction using ab initio coupled clusters calculations extrapolated to the complete basis set combined with Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus and radiationless transition theories

Ab initio CCSD(T) calculations of intermediates and transition states on the singlet and triplet C3H2 potential energy surfaces extrapolated to the complete basis set limit are combined with statistical computations of energy-dependent rate constants of the C(3P)+C2H2 reaction under crossed molecular beam conditions. Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory is applied for isomerization and dissociation steps within the same multiplicity and radiationless transition and nonadiabatic transition state theories are used for singlet-triplet intersystem crossing rates. The calculated rate constants are utilized to predict product branching ratios. The results demonstrate that, in qualitative agreement with available experimental data, c-C3H+H and C3+H2 are the most probable products at low collision energies, whereas l-C3H+H becomes dominant at higher Ec above approximately 25 kJ/mol.     

Quantum dynamics study on multichannel dissociation and isomerization reactions of formaldehyde

We study quantum dynamics of the multichannel reactions of H(2)CO including the molecular and radical dissociation channels as well as the isomerization ones, H(2)CO-->trans-HCOH and trans-HCOH-->cis-HCOH. For this purpose, the previously developed potential energy function [T. Yonehara and S. Kato, J. Chem. Phys. 117, 11131 (2002)] is refined to give accurate transition state energies and to describe the radical dissociation channel. The cumulative reaction probabilities for the molecular dissociation and two isomerization channels are calculated by using the full Watson Hamiltonian. We also carry out wave packet dynamics calculations starting from the transition state region for the molecular dissociation. A contracted basis set for the angular coordinates is constructed to reduce the size of dynamics calculations. The intramolecular vibrational relaxation dynamics is found to be fast and almost complete within 300 fs. Using the energy filtered wave functions, the time propagation of HCOH population is obtained in the energy range from 81 to 94 kcal/mol. The branching ratio of the radical product is estimated by calculating the time dependent reactive fluxes to the molecular and radical dissociation products.     

1,2-C4H6→2-C4H6异构化反应机理的理论研究

采用自洽场分子轨道UHF/6-31G**从头算法,研究了1,2-C4H6→2-C4H6异构化反应机理,优化了基态势能面上反应物、过渡态、中间体和产物的几何构型,并对各驻点能量进行了零点能校准.结果表明该反应经历一个1-甲基环丙烯生成产物比经两步氢迁移反应历程更易发生.     

Characterization of the X2A1, A2B1, and X2Pi electronic states of the Ga2H molecule and the X2A' and A 2A" isomerization transition states connecting the three minima

A wide range of highly correlated ab initio methods has been used to predict the geometrical parameters of the linear (X (2)Pi) and H-bridged (X (2)A(1) and A (2)B(1)) Ga(2)H isomers and two isomerization transition states (X (2)A(') and A (2)A(")) connecting the three minima. Dipole moments and vibrational frequencies are also obtained. The global minimum X (2)A(1) ground state of the H-bridged GaHGa isomer is predicted to lie only 1.6 [1.9 with the zero-point vibrational energy (ZPVE) corrections] kcal mol(-1) below the A (2)B(1) state. The X (2)A(1) state lies 5.4 kcal mol(-1) below the X (2)Pi ground state of the linear GaGaH isomer at the coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)] level of theory with the augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple-zeta (aug-cc-pVQZ) basis set. The full triples coupled-cluster method is found to alter these CCSD(T) predictions by as much as 0.3 kcal mol(-1). The forward isomerization barriers from the linear ground state to the X (2)A(') and A (2)A(") transition states are determined to be 3.3 and 5.3 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The reverse isomerization barrier between the X (2)A(1) GaHGa structure and the X (2)Pi GaGaH structure is predicted to be 8.6 (8.2 with the ZPVE corrections) kcal mol(-1) at the aug-cc-pVQZ CCSD(T) level of theory.     

Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of vinyl radical with formaldehyde

A detailed computational study is performed on the radical-molecule reaction between the vinyl radical (C2H3) and formaldehyde (H2CO), for which only the direct hydrogen abstraction channel has been considered by previous and very recent theoretical studies. At the Gaussian-3//B3LYP/6-31G(d) and CBS-QB3 levels, the direct H-abstraction forming C2H4 + HCO has barriers of 3.9 and 4.7 kcal/mol, respectively. The addition barrier to form H2CCHCH2O has barriers of 2.8 and 2.3 kcal/mol, respectively. Subsequently, there are two highly competitive dissociation pathways for H2CCHCH2O: One is the formation of the direct H-extrusion product H2CCHCHO + H, and the other is the formation of C2H4 + HCO via the intermediate H2CCH2CHO. Surely, the released energy is large enough to drive the secondary dissociation of HCO to H + CO. Because the involved transition states and intermediates of the H2CCHCH2O evolution all lie energetically lower than the entrance addition transition state, the addition-elimination is more competitive than the direct H-transfer for the C2H3 + H2CO reaction, in contrast to previous expectation. The present results can be useful for future experimental investigation on the title reaction.     

Theoretical study of the pyrolysis of methyltrichlorosilane in the gas phase. 2. Reaction paths and transition states

The kinetics for the previously proposed 114-reaction mechanism for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process that leads from methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) to silicon carbide (SiC) are examined. Among the 114 reactions, 41 are predicted to proceed with no intervening barrier. For the remaining 73 reactions, transition states and their corresponding barrier heights have been explored using second-order perturbation theory (MP2) with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. Final energies for the reaction barriers were obtained using both MP2 with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set and coupled cluster theory (CCSD(T)) with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ energies were estimated by assuming additivity of basis set and correlation effects. Partition functions for the computation of thermodynamic properties of the transition states were calculated with MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ. Forward and reverse Gibbs free energy barriers were obtained at 11 temperatures ranging from 0 to 2000 K. Important reaction pathways are illustrated at 0 and 1400 K.     

Photodissociation dynamics of the 2-methylallyl radical

Time- and frequency-resolved photoionization of the hydrogen atom product from a jet-cooled electronically excited 2-methylallyl radical, C4H7, provides information on the dissociation dynamics. The measured dissociation rates and kinetic energy release of 2-methylallyl and its isotopologue CD3C3H4 combined with high level ab initio calculations suggests unimolecular dissociation with methylenecyclopropane and hydrogen as the major C-H bond fission channel with no evidence for nonstatistical behavior in dissociation. Other possible dissociation and isomerization pathways are discussed based on the results of the coupled-cluster ab initio calculations.     

Reactions of the alkoxy radicals formed following OH-addition to alpha-pinene and beta-pinene. C-C bond scission reactions.

The atmospheric degradation pathways of the atmospherically important terpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene are studied using density functional theory. We employ the correlation functional of Lee, Yang, and Parr and the three-parameter HF exchange functional of Becke (B3LYP) together with the 6-31G(d) basis set. The C-C bond scission reactions of the beta-hydroxyalkoxy radicals that are formed after OH addition to alpha-pinene and beta-pinene are investigated. Both of the alkoxy radicals formed from the alpha-pinene-OH adduct possess a single favored C-C scission pathway with an extremely low barrier (approximately 3 kcal/mol) leading to the formation of pinonaldehyde. Neither of these pathways produces formaldehyde, and preliminary computational results offer some support for suggestions that 1,5 or 1,6 H-shift (isomerization) reactions of alkoxy radicals contribute to formaldehyde production. In the case of the alkoxy radical formed following OH addition to the methylene group of beta-pinene, there exists two C-C scission reactions with nearly identical barrier heights (approximately 7.5 kcal/mol); one leads to known products (nopinone and formaldehyde) but the ultimate products of the competing reaction are unknown. The single C-C scission pathway of the other alkoxy radical from beta-pinene possesses a very low (approximately 4 kcal/mol) barrier. The kinetically favored C-C scission reactions of all four alkoxy radicals appear to be far faster than expected rates of reaction with O2. The rearrangement of the alpha-pinene-OH adduct, a key step in the proposed mechanism of formation of acetone from alpha-pinene, is determined to possess a barrier of 11.6 kcal/mol. This value is consistent with another computational result and is broadly consistent with the modest acetone yields observed in product yield studies.     

Sulfur atom exchange in the reaction of SH radicals with S atoms

The structural and energetic properties of the HSS-->SSH transition state are examined using the single and double coupled-cluster method. The energy change for the isomerization reaction is estimated to be 31.7+/-1 kcal mol(-1). The results suggest that the reaction between SH radicals and S atoms should isotopically exchange because the isomerization barrier is significantly less than the S-S bond dissociation energy in the HSS radical.     

Overtone-induced dissociation and isomerization dynamics of the hydroxymethyl radical (CH2OH and CD2OH). I. A theoretical study

The dissociation of the hydroxymethyl radical, CH(2)OH, and its isotopolog, CD(2)OH, following the excitation of high OH stretch overtones is studied by quasi-classical molecular dynamics calculations using a global potential energy surface (PES) fitted to ab initio calculations. The PES includes CH(2)OH and CH(3)O minima, dissociation products, and all relevant barriers. Its analysis shows that the transition states for OH bond fission and isomerization are both very close in energy to the excited vibrational levels reached in recent experiments and involve significant geometry changes relative to the CH(2)OH equilibrium structure. The energies of key stationary points are refined using high-level electronic structure calculations. Vibrational energies and wavefunctions are computed by coupled anharmonic vibrational calculations. They show that high OH-stretch overtones are mixed with other modes. Consequently, trajectory calculations carried out at energies about ~3000 cm(-1) above the barriers reveal that despite initial excitation of the OH stretch, the direct OH bond fission is relatively slow (10 ps) and a considerable fraction of the radicals undergoes isomerization to the methoxy radical. The computed dissociation energies are: D(0)(CH(2)OH → CH(2)O + H) = 10,188 cm(-1), D(0)(CD(2)OH → CD(2)O + H) = 10,167 cm(-1), D(0)(CD(2)OH → CHDO + D) = 10,787 cm(-1). All are in excellent agreement with the experimental results. For CH(2)OH, the barriers for the direct OH bond fission and isomerization are: 14,205 and 13,839 cm(-1), respectively.     

Ab initio study of the cyclooctatetraenyl radical

Ab initio calculations have been carried out on the 1,3,5,7- and 1,2,4,7-tetraene configurations of the cyclooctatetraenyl radical at UHF, ROHF, MCSCF, ROCISD, QCISD, and CCSD(T) levels of theory with 6-311G(d,p) and cc-pVDZ basis sets. Although spin contamination is present, the ROCISD calculations support the energies obtained from less intensive, UHF-based coupled cluster calculations over the energies obtained from MCSCF analysis of the pi-electron orbitals. The 1,3,5,7-form is a local minimum at the coupled cluster levels, higher in energy than the resonance-stabilized 1,2,4,7-form by 10-13 kJ/mol, but bounded by a barrier of less than 0.5 kJ/mol. The isomerization surface connecting these two structures is described and results reported from integration of the vibrational Schr?dinger equation on that surface. Excited vibrational states at energies just above the isomerization barrier are dominated by the character of the 1,3,5,7-tetraenyl radical, which suggests that chemistry involving this intermediate at typical combustion temperatures may branch at this juncture.     

Photofragment imaging study of the CH2CCH2OH radical intermediate of the OH+allene reaction

These velocity map imaging experiments characterize the photolytic generation of one of the two radical intermediates formed when OH reacts via an addition mechanism with allene. The CH2CCH2OH radical intermediate is generated photolytically from the photodissociation of 2-chloro-2-propen-1-ol at 193 nm. Detecting the Cl atoms using [2+1] resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization evidences an isotropic angular distribution for the Cl+CH2CCH2OH photofragments, a spin-orbit branching ratio for Cl(2P1/2):Cl(2P3/2) of 0.28, and a bimodal recoil kinetic energy distribution. Conservation of momentum and energy allows us to determine from this data the internal energy distribution of the nascent CH2CCH2OH radical cofragment. To assess the possible subsequent decomposition pathways of this highly vibrationally excited radical intermediate, we include electronic structure calculations at the G3//B3LYP level of theory. They predict the isomerization and dissociation transition states en route from the initial CH2CCH2OH radical intermediate to the three most important product channels for the OH+allene reaction expected from this radical intermediate: formaldehyde+C2H3, H+acrolein, and ethene+CHO. We also calculate the intermediates and transition states en route from the other radical adduct, formed by addition of the OH to the center carbon of allene, to the ketene+CH3 product channel. We compare our results to a previous theoretical study of the O+allyl reaction conducted at the CBS-QB3 level of theory, as the two reactions include several common intermediates.     

Singlet and triplet potential surfaces for the O2+C2H4 reaction

Electronic structure calculations at the CASSCF and UB3LYP levels of theory with the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set were used to characterize structures, vibrational frequencies, and energies for stationary points on the ground state triplet and singlet O(2)+C(2)H(4) potential energy surfaces (PESs). Spin-orbit couplings between the PESs were calculated using state averaged CASSCF wave functions. More accurate energies were obtained for the CASSCF structures with the MRMP2/aug-cc-pVDZ method. An important and necessary aspect of the calculations was the need to use different CASSCF active spaces for the different reaction paths on the investigated PESs. The CASSCF calculations focused on O(2)+C(2)H(4) addition to form the C(2)H(4)O(2) biradical on the triplet and singlet surfaces, and isomerization reaction paths ensuing from this biradical. The triplet and singlet C(2)H(4)O(2) biradicals are very similar in structure, primarily differing in their C-C-O-O dihedral angles. The MRMP2 values for the O(2)+C(2)H(4)→C(2)H(4)O(2) barrier to form the biradical are 33.8 and 6.1 kcal/mol, respectively, for the triplet and singlet surfaces. On the singlet surface, C(2)H(4)O(2) isomerizes to dioxetane and ethane-peroxide with MRMP2 barriers of 7.8 and 21.3 kcal/mol. A more exhaustive search of reaction paths was made for the singlet surface using the UB3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ theory. The triplet and singlet surfaces cross between the structures for the O(2)+C(2)H(4) addition transition states and the biradical intermediates. Trapping in the triplet biradical intermediate, following (3)O(2)+C(2)H(4) addition, is expected to enhance triplet→singlet intersystem crossing.     

Large-amplitude dynamics in vinyl radical: the role of quantum tunneling as an isomerization mechanism

We report tunneling splittings associated with the large amplitude 1,2 H-atom migration to the global minima in the vinyl radical. These are obtained using a recent full-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface (PES) [A. R. Sharma, B. J. Braams, S. Carter, B. C. Shepler, and J. M. Bowman, J. Chem. Phys. 130(17), 174301 (2009)] and independently, directly calculated "reaction paths." The PES is a multidimensional fit to coupled cluster single and double and perturbative treatment of triple excitations coupled-cluster single double triple (CCSD(T)) with the augmented correlation consistent triple zeta basis set (aug-cc-pVTZ). The reaction path potentials are obtained from a series of CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVnTZ calculations extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. Approximate 1D calculations of the tunneling splitting for these 1,2-H atom migrations are obtained using each of these potentials as well as quite different 1D Hamiltonians. The splittings are calculated over a large energy ranges, with results from the two sets of calculations in excellent agreement. Though negligibly slow (>1 s) for the vibrational ground state, this work predicts tunneling-promoted 1,2 hydride shift dynamics in vinyl to exhibit exponential growth with internal vibrational excitation, specifically achieving rates on the sub-μs time scale at energies above E ≈ 7500 cm(-1). Most importantly, these results begin to elucidate the possible role of quantum isomerization through barriers without dissociation, in competition with the more conventional picture of classical roaming permitted over a much narrower window of energies immediately below the bond dissociation limit. Furthermore, when integrated over a Boltzmann distribution of thermal energies, these microcanonical tunneling rates are consistent with sub-μs time scales for 1,2 hydride shift dynamics at T > 1400 K. These results have potential relevance for combustion modeling of low-pressure flames, as well as recent observations of nuclear spin statistical mixing from high-resolution IR/microwave spectroscopy on vinyl radical.     

The lowest-lying electronic singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces for the HNO-NOH system: energetics, unimolecular rate constants, tunneling and kinetic isotope effects for the isomerization and dissociation reactions

The lowest-lying electronic singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces (PES) for the HNO-NOH system have been investigated employing high level ab initio quantum chemical methods. The reaction energies and barriers have been predicted for two isomerization and four dissociation reactions. Total energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set limit applying focal point analyses. Anharmonic zero-point vibrational energies, diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections, relativistic effects, and core correlation corrections are also taken into account. On the singlet PES, the (1)HNO → (1)NOH endothermicity including all corrections is predicted to be 42.23 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). For the barrierless decomposition of (1)HNO to H + NO, the dissociation energy is estimated to be 47.48 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). For (1)NOH → H + NO, the reaction endothermicity and barrier are 5.25 ± 0.2 and 7.88 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). On the triplet PES the reaction energy and barrier including all corrections are predicted to be 7.73 ± 0.2 and 39.31 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1) for the isomerization reaction (3)HNO → (3)NOH. For the triplet dissociation reaction (to H + NO) the corresponding results are 29.03 ± 0.2 and 32.41 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1). Analogous results are 21.30 ± 0.2 and 33.67 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1) for the dissociation reaction of (3)NOH (to H + NO). Unimolecular rate constants for the isomerization and dissociation reactions were obtained utilizing kinetic modeling methods. The tunneling and kinetic isotope effects are also investigated for these reactions. The adiabatic singlet-triplet energy splittings are predicted to be 18.45 ± 0.2 and 16.05 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1) for HNO and NOH, respectively. Kinetic analyses based on solution of simultaneous first-order ordinary-differential rate equations demonstrate that the singlet NOH molecule will be difficult to prepare at room temperature, while the triplet NOH molecule is viable with respect to isomerization and dissociation reactions up to 400 K. Hence, our theoretical findings clearly explain why (1)NOH has not yet been observed experimentally.     

Theoretical study of isomerization and dissociation of acetylene dication in the ground and excited electronic states

Ab initio calculations employing the configuration interaction method including Davidson's corrections for quadruple excitations have been carried out to unravel the dissociation mechanism of acetylene dication in various electronic states and to elucidate ultrafast acetylene-vinylidene isomerization recently observed experimentally. Both in the ground triplet and the lowest singlet electronic states of C2H2(2+) the proton migration barrier is shown to remain high, in the range of 50 kcal/mol. On the other hand, the barrier in the excited 2 3A" and 1 3A' states decreases to about 15 and 34 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating that the ultrafast proton migration is possible in these states, especially, in 2 3A", even at relatively low available vibrational energies. Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations of individual reaction-rate constants and product branching ratios indicate that if C2H(2)2+ dissociates from the ground triplet state, the major reaction products should be CCH+(3Sigma-)+H+ followed by CH+(3Pi)+CH+(1Sigma+) and with a minor contribution (approximately 1%) of C2H+(2A1)+C+(2P). In the lowest singlet state, C2H+(2A1)+C+(2P) are the major dissociation products at low available energies when the other channels are closed, whereas at Eint>5 eV, the CCH+(1A')+H+ products have the largest branching ratio, up to 70% and higher, that of CH+(1Sigma+)+CH+(1Sigma+) is in the range of 25%-27%, and the yield of C2H++C+ is only 2%-3%. The calculated product branching ratios at Eint approximately 17 eV are in qualitative agreement with the available experimental data. The appearance thresholds calculated for the CCH++H+, CH++CH+, and C2H++C+ products are 34.25, 35.12, and 34.55 eV. The results of calculations in the presence of strong electric field show that the field can make the vinylidene isomer unstable and the proton elimination spontaneous, but is unlikely to significantly reduce the barrier for the acetylene-vinylidene isomerization and to render the acetylene configuration unstable or metastable with respect to proton migration.     

Theoretical study on the structures, isomerization and stability of SiC3H isomers

The calculations of the geometry optimizations, energies, dipole moments, vibrational spectra, rotational constants, and isomerization of doublet SiC₃H species were performed using density functional theory and ab initio methods. Four types of isomers, a total of 18 minima, connected by 16 interconversion transition states, were located on the potential energy surface (PES) at the B3LYP/6-311G (d, p) level. More accurate energies were obtained at the CCSD(T)/6-311G(2df, 2p), and G3(MP2) levels. With the highest isomerization barrier, the lowest lying structure, linear A1 possesses the largest kinetic stability. Besides, the isomerization barriers of A2, A4, C2, F1, F4 and F5 are over 10 kcal/mol, and these isomers are also considered to be higher kinetically stable. Other isomers cannot be kinetically stabilized with considerably low isomerization barriers. Investigation on the bonding properties and the computations of vibrational spectra, dipole moments, and rotational constants for SiC₃H isomers are helpful for understanding their structures and also valuable for their detections in the interstellar space and laboratory.