Formaldehyde photodissociation: dependence on total angular momentum and rotational alignment of the CO product

Quasiclassical trajectory calculations are reported to investigate the effects of rotational excitation of formaldehyde on the branching ratios of the fragmentation products, H2+CO and H+HCO. The results of tens of thousands of trajectories show that increased rotational excitation causes suppression of the radical channel and enhancement of the molecular channel. Decomposing the molecular channel into "direct" and "roaming" channels shows that increased rotation switches from suppressing to enhancing the roaming products across our chosen energy range. However, decomposition into these pathways is difficult because the difference between them does not appear to have a distinct boundary. A vector correlation investigation of the CO rotation shows different characteristics in the roaming versus direct channels and this difference is a potentially useful signature of the roaming mechanism, as first speculated by Kable and Houston in their experimental study of photodissociation of acetaldehyde [P. L. Houston and S. H. Kable, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 103, 16079 (2006)].     

"Roaming" dynamics in CH3CHO photodissociation revealed on a global potential energy surface

We present a quasiclassical trajectory study of the photodissociation of CH3CHO to molecular and radical products, CH4 + CO and CH3 + HCO, respectively, using global ab initio-based potentials energy surfaces. The molecular products have a well-defined potential barrier transition state (TS) but the dynamics exhibit strong deviations from the TS pathway to these products. The radical products are formed via a variational TS. Calculations are reported at total energies corresponding to photolysis wavelengths of 308, 282, 264, 248 and 233 nm. The results at 308 nm focus on a comparison with experiment [Houston, P. L.; Kable, S. H. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2006, 103, 16079] and the elucidation of the nature and extent of non-TS reaction dynamics to form the molecular products, CH4 + CO. At the other wavelengths the focus is the branching ratio of these products and the radical products, CH3 + HCO.     

Imaging the molecular channel in acetaldehyde photodissociation: roaming and transition state mechanisms

The roaming dynamics in the photodissociation of acetaldehyde is studied through the first absorption band, in the wavelength interval ranging from 230 nm to 325 nm. Using a combination of the velocity-map imaging technique and rotational resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy of the CO fragment, the branching ratio between the canonical transition state and roaming dissociation mechanisms is obtained at each of the photolysis wavelengths studied. Upon one photon absorption, the molecule is excited to the first singlet excited S(1) state, which, depending on the excitation wavelength, either converts back to highly vibrationally excited ground S(0) state or undergoes intersystem crossing to the first excited triplet T(1) state, from where the molecule can dissociate over two main channels: the radical (CH(3) + HCO) and the molecular (CO + CH(4)) channels. Three dynamical regions are characterized: in the red edge of the absorption band, at excitation energies below the T(1) barrier, the ratio of the roaming dissociation channel increases, largely surpassing the transition state contribution. As the excitation wavelength is increased, the roaming propensity decreases reaching a minimum at wavelengths ～308 nm. Towards the blue edge, at 230 nm, an upper limit of ～50% has been estimated for the contribution of the roaming channel. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of the interaction between the different potential energy surfaces involved by means of ab initio stationary points and intrinsic reaction coordinate paths calculations.     

Slice imaging of the photodissociation of acetaldehyde at 248 nm. Evidence of a roaming mechanism

The photodissociation of acetaldehyde in the molecular channel yielding CO and CH(4) at 248 nm has been studied, probing different rotational states of the CO(nu = 0) fragment by slice ion imaging using a 2+1 REMPI scheme at around 230 nm. From the slice images, clear evidence of the co-existence of two different mechanisms has been obtained. One of the mechanisms is consistent with the well-studied conventional transition state in which CO products appear rotationally excited, and the second is consistent with a roaming mechanism. This roaming mechanism is characterized by a low rotational energy disposal into the CO fragment as well as by a very low kinetic energy release, corresponding to a high internal energy in the CH(4) counter-fragment.     

Insight into global reaction mechanism of [C2, H4, O] system from ab initio calculations by the scaled hypersphere search method

A detailed computational study is performed on the singlet potential energy surface (PES) for possible isomerization and dissociation reactions of CH(3)CHO at the DFT (B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p)) and CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) levels. The pathways around the equilibrium structures can be discovered by the scaled hypersphere search (SHS) method, which enables us to make a global analysis of the PES for a given chemical composition. Fourteen isomers inclusive of 11 single-molecules and three "non-stabilized" oxygen-based ylides, 5 energetically favored complexes, and 79 interconversion transition states have been found on the singlet PES. Four lowest lying isomers with thermodynamic stability are also kinetically stable with respect to metastable intermediates. It was revealed that vinyl alcohols, which could be generated by the tautomerization of acetaldehyde, could undergo dissociation to form acetylene and water. In addition, recombination channels between some fragments, such as H(2)CO + (1)CH(2) and (1)CHOH + (1)CH(2), are energetically accessible via collision complex or oxygen-based ylides. Most of available unimolecular decompositions are found to be responsible for favorable hydrogen abstraction processes.     

CH3CH2+O(3P)反应机理的理论研究

The reaction for CH3CH2+O(3P) was studied by ab initio method. The geometries of the reactants, intermediates, transition states and products were optimized at MP2/6-311+G(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 QCISD(T)/6-311+G(d,p) level using the MP2/6-311+G(d,p) optimized geometries. The results of the theoretical study indicate that the major products are the CH2O＋CH3, CH3CHO+H and CH2CH2+OH in the reaction. For the products CH2O＋CH3 and CH3CHO+H, the major production channels are A1: (R)→IM1→TS3→(A) and B1: (R)→IM1→TS4→(B), respectively. The majority of the products CH2CH2+OH are formed via the direct abstraction channels C1 and C2: (R)→TS1(TS2)→(C). In addition, the results suggest that the barrier heights to form the CO reaction channels are very high, so the CO is not a major product in the reaction.     

Three-state trajectory surface hopping studies of the photodissociation dynamics of formaldehyde on ab initio potential energy surfaces

Full-dimensional, three-state, surface hopping calculations of the photodissociation dynamics of formaldehyde are reported on ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) for electronic states S(1), T(1), and S(0). This is the first such study initiated on S(1) with ab initio-calculated spin-orbit couplings among the three states. We employ previous PESs for S(0) and T(1), and a new PES for S(1), which we describe here, as well as new spin-orbit couplings. The time-dependent electronic state populations and the branching ratio of radical products produced from S(0) and T(1) states and that of total radical products and molecular products at three total energies are calculated. Details of the surface hopping dynamics are described, and a novel pathway for isomerization on T(1) via S(0) is reported. Final translational energy distributions of H + HCO products from S(0) and T(1) are also reported as well as the translational energy distribution and final rovibrational distributions of H(2) products from the molecular channel. The present results are compared to previous trajectory calculations initiated from the global minimum of S(0). The roaming pathway leading to low rotational distribution of CO and high vibrational population of H(2) is observed in the present calculations.     

Connection between the upper and lower energy regions of the potential energy surface of the ground electronic state of the HSO2 system

The importance of the HSO(2) system in atmospheric and combustion chemistry has motivated several works dedicated to the study of associated structures and chemical reactions. Nevertheless, controversy still exists about a possible connection between the upper and lower energy regions of the potential energy surface (PES) for the ground electronic state of the system. Very recently, a path to connect these regions was proposed based on studies at the CASPT2/aug-cc-pV(T+d)Z level of calculation but the small energy difference between some of the transitions states along that path suggested the necessity of calculations at a higher level of theory. In the present work, we report a CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV(T+d)Z study of the stationary states associated to the proposed connection path, including assessment of the most reliable complete basis set (CBS) extrapolation scheme for the system. Among the new features, the present calculations show that there are no structures corresponding to the HSO(2)(b) minimum and the TS3 saddle point obtained at the CASPT2 level and that the connection path between the upper and lower energy regions of the PES for the ground electronic state involves only one transition state and most probably more than one electronic state.     

Mechanistic and kinetic study of the CH3CO + O2 reaction

Potential-energy surface of the CH3CO + O2 reaction has been calculated by ab initio quantum chemistry methods. The geometries were optimized using the second-order Moller-Plesset theory (MP2) with the 6-311G(d,p) basis set and the coupled-cluster theory with single and double excitations (CCSD) with the correlation consistent polarized valence double zeta (cc-pVDZ) basis set. The relative energies were calculated using the Gaussian-3 second-order Moller-Plesset theory with the CCSD/cc-pVDZ geometries. Multireference self-consistent-field and MP2 methods were also employed using the 6-311G(d,p) and 6-311++G(3df,2p) basis sets. Both addition/elimination and direct abstraction mechanisms have been investigated. It was revealed that acetylperoxy radical [CH3C(O)OO] is the initial adduct and the formation of OH and alpha-lactone [CH2CO2(1A')] is the only energetically accessible decomposition channel. The other channels, e.g., abstraction, HO2 + CH2CO, O + CH3CO2, CO + CH3O2, and CO2 + CH3O, are negligible. Multichannel Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory and transition state theory (E-resolved) were employed to calculate the overall and individual rate coefficients and the temperature and pressure dependences. Fairly good agreement between theory and experiments has been obtained without any adjustable parameters. It was concluded that at pressures below 3 Torr, OH and CH2CO2(1A') are the major nascent products of the oxidation of acetyl radicals, although CH2CO2(1A') might either undergo unimolecular decomposition to form the final products of CH2O + CO or react with OH and Cl to generate H2O and HCl. The acetylperoxy radicals formed by collisional stabilization are the major products at the elevated pressures. In atmosphere, the yield of acetylperoxy is nearly unity and the contribution of OH is only marginal.     

Separability of tight and roaming pathways to molecular decomposition

Recent studies have questioned the separability of the tight and roaming mechanisms to molecular decomposition. We explore this issue for a variety of reactions including MgH(2) → Mg + H(2), NCN → CNN, H(2)CO → H(2) + CO, CH(3)CHO → CH(4) + CO, and HNNOH → N(2) + H(2)O. Our analysis focuses on the role of second-order saddle points in defining global dividing surfaces that encompass both tight and roaming first-order saddle points. The second-order saddle points define an energetic criterion for separability of the two mechanisms. Furthermore, plots of the differential contribution to the reactive flux along paths connecting the first- and second-order saddle points provide a dynamic criterion for separability. The minimum in the differential reactive flux in the neighborhood of the second-order saddle point plays the role of a mechanism divider, with the presence of a strong minimum indicating that the roaming and tight mechanisms are dynamically distinct. We show that the mechanism divider is often, but not always, associated with a second-order saddle point. For the formaldehyde and acetaldehyde reactions, we find that the minimum energy geometry on a conical intersection is associated with the mechanism divider for the tight and roaming processes. For HNNOH, we again find that the roaming and tight processes are dynamically separable but we find no intrinsic feature of the potential energy surface associated with the mechanism divider. Overall, our calculations suggest that roaming and tight mechanisms are generally separable over broad ranges of energy covering most kinetically relevant regimes.     

Shock tube and theoretical studies on the thermal decomposition of propane: evidence for a roaming radical channel

The thermal decomposition of propane has been studied using both shock tube experiments and ab initio transition state theory-based master equation calculations. Dissociation rate constants for propane have been measured at high temperatures behind reflected shock waves using high-sensitivity H-ARAS detection and CH(3) optical absorption. The two major dissociation channels at high temperature are C(3)H(8) → CH(3) + C(2)H(5) (eq 1a) and C(3)H(8) → CH(4) + C(2)H(4) (eq 1b). Ultra high-sensitivity ARAS detection of H-atoms produced from the decomposition of the product, C(2)H(5), in (1a), allowed measurements of both the total decomposition rate constants, k(total), and the branching to radical products, k(1a)/k(total). Theoretical analyses indicate that the molecular products are formed exclusively through the roaming radical mechanism and that radical products are formed exclusively through channel 1a. The experiments were performed over the temperature range 1417-1819 K and gave a minor contribution of (10 ± 8%) due to roaming. A multipass CH(3) absorption diagnostic using a Zn resonance lamp was also developed and characterized in this work using the thermal decomposition of CH(3)I as a reference reaction. The measured rate constants for CH(3)I decomposition agreed with earlier determinations from this laboratory that were based on I-atom ARAS measurements. This CH(3) diagnostic was then used to detect radicals from channel 1a allowing lower temperature (1202-1543 K) measurements of k(1a) to be determined. Variable reaction coordinate-transition state theory was used to predict the high pressure limits for channel (1a) and other bond fission reactions in C(3)H(8). Conventional transition state theory calculations were also used to estimate rate constants for other tight transition state processes. These calculations predict a negligible contribution (<1%) from all other bond fission and tight transition state processes, indicating that the bond fission channel (1a) and the roaming channel (1b) are indeed the only active channels at the temperature and pressure ranges of the present experiments. The predicted reaction exo- and endothermicities are in excellent agreement with the current version of the Active Thermochemical Tables. Master equation calculations incorporating these transition state theory results yield predictions for the temperature and pressure dependence of the dissociation rate constants for channel 1a. The final theoretical results reliably reproduce the measured dissociation rate constants that are reported here and in the literature. The experimental data are well reproduced over the 500-2500 K and 1 × 10(-4) to 100 bar range (errors of ～15% or less) by the following Troe parameters for Ar as the bath gas: k(∞) = 1.55 × 10(24)T(-2.034) exp(-45?490/T) s(-1), k(0) = 7.92 × 10(53)T(-16.67) exp(-50?380/T) cm(3) s(-1), and F(c) = 0.190 exp(-T/3091) + 0.810 exp(-T/128) + exp(-8829/T).     

Ab initio study on the reaction mechanism of ozone with bromine atom

Ab initio calculations of the potential energy surface (PES) for the Br+O₃ reaction have been performed using the MP2, CCSD(T), and QCISD(T) methods with 6‐31G(d), 6‐311G(d), and 6‐311+G(3df). The reaction begins with a transition state (TS) when the Br atom attacks a terminal oxygen of ozone, producing an intermediate, the bromine trioxide (M), which immediately dissociates to BrO+O₂. The geometry optimizations of the reactants, products, and intermediate and transition states are carried out at the MP2/6‐31G(d) level. The reaction potential barrier is 3.09 kcal/mol at the CCSD(T)/6‐311+G(3df)//MP2 level, which shows that the bromine atom trends intensively to react with the ozone. The comparison of the Br+O₃ reaction with the F+O₃ and Cl+O₃ reactions indicates that the reactions of ozone with the halogen atoms have the similar reaction mechanism. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

An ab initio based global potential energy surface describing CH5+ --> CH3+ + H2

A full-dimensional, ab initio based potential energy surface (PES) for CH(5)(+), which can describe dissociation is reported. The PES is a precise fit to 36173 coupled-cluster [CCSD(T)] calculations of electronic energies done using an aug-cc-pVTZ basis. The fit uses a polynomial basis that is invariant with respect to permutation of the five H atoms, and thus describes all 120 equivalent minima. The rms fitting error is 78.1 cm(-1) for the entire data set of energies up to 30,000 cm(-1) and a normal-mode analysis of CH(5)(+) also verifies the accuracy of the fit. Two saddle points have been located on the surface as well and compared with previous theoretical work. The PES dissociates correctly to the fragments CH(3)(+) + H(2) and the equilibrium geometry and normal-mode analyses of these fragments are also presented. Diffusion Monte Carlo calculations are done for the zero-point energies of CH(5)(+) (and some isotopologs) as well as for the separated fragments of CH(5)(+), CH(3)(+) + H(2) and those of CH(4)D(+), CH(3)(+) + HD and CH(2)D(+) + H(2). Values of D(0) are reported for these dissociations. A molecular dynamics calculation of CH(4)D(+) dissociation at one total energy is also performed to both validate the applicability of the PES for dynamics studies as well as to test a simple classical statistical prediction of the branching ratio of the dissociation products.     

Theoretical Study on Dissociation Mechanisms of Di-ethyl Berylliums and Di-t-butyl Berylliums

The potential energy surfaces (PES) of unimolecular dissociation reactions for di-ethyl beryl-lium and di-t-butyl beryllium are investigated by B3LYP, CCSD(T), and G3B3 approaches. Possible reaction pathways through either the radical or transition state (TS) of the molecules are considered. The geometries, vibrational frequencies and relative energies for various sta-tionary points are determined. From the study of energetics, the TS pathways arising from concerted molecular eliminations are indicated to be the main dissociation pathways for both molecules. The PES differences of the dissociation reactions are investigated. The activa-tion energies and rate constants will be helpful for investigating the predictive ability of the reaction in further theoretical and experimental research.     

CH3CH2,CH3CHCl,CH3CCl2与NO2反应微观动力学理论研究

运用量子化学密度泛函理论UB3LYP/6-311+G*和高级电子相关校正的偶合簇(CCSD(T)/6-311+G*)方法,对CH3CH2,CH3CHCl和CH3CCl2自由基与NO2反应的机理和动力学进行了理论研究,得到了体系的势能面信息和可能的反应机理.根据计算得到的各反应热力学参数及反应能垒,采用传统过渡态理论计算了各反应在温度T=298 K和T=700 K时的速率常数.研究结果表明,该类反应均通过1个中间体和1个过渡态生成产物,产物分别为CH3CHO+HNO,CH3CHO+ClNO和CH3CClO+ClNO.     

CH_3SGN与O_2气相反应机理的理论研究

在G3(MP2)水平上,通过对CH_3S与O_2rcyi2rvylce dm (PES)上关键驻点的能 量计算,共找到4种中间体,9个过渡态,6种产物通道,并对这些气相反应机理进 行了讨论,同时应用TST－RRKM理论对主要反应的速率进行计算。结果表明:CH_3S 与O_2反应在低温下以生成CH_3SOO为主,并与实验结果吻合;在中高温下以消去和 抽提反应为主,分别生成CH_3 + SO_2和CH_2S + HO_2,其它产物较少。     

CH_2CO+CH_2的多通道反应的理论研究

利用密度泛函(DFT)和自然键轨道理论(NBO)及高级电子耦合簇[CCSD(T)]和电子密度拓扑(AIM)方法,对单重态和三重态CH2与CH2CO反应的微观机理进行了研究.在B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)水平上优化了反应通道各驻点的几何构型.在CCSD(T)/6-311+G(d,p)水平上计算了各物种的单点能量,并对总能量进行了校正.计算表明,单重态CH2与CH2CO的C-H键可发生插入反应,与C=C、C=O可发生加成反应,存在三条反应通道,产物为CO和C2H4,从能量变化和反应速控步骤能垒两方面考虑,反应II更容易发生.对反应通道中的关键点进行了自然键轨道及电子密度拓扑分析.三重态CH2与CH2CO的反应存在三条反应通道,一条是与C-H键的插入反应,另一条是三重态CH2与C=C发生加成反应,产物为CO和三重态C2H4,通道II势垒较低,更容易发生.最后一条涉及双自由基的反应活化能最大,最难发生.     

Computational study of the energetics of 3Fe(CO)4, 1Fe(CO)4 and 1Fe(CO)4(L), L = Xe, CH4, H2 and CO

Large basis CCSD(T) calculations are used to calculate the energetics of 3Fe(CO)4, 1Fe(CO)4 and 1Fe(CO)4(L), L = Xe, CH4, H2 and CO. . The relative energy of the excited singlet state of Fe(CO)4 with respect to the ground triplet state is not known experimentally, and various lower levels of theory predict very different results. Upon extrapolating to the infinite basis set limit, and including corrections for core-core and core-valence correlation, scalar relativity, and multi-reference character of the wavefunction, the best CCSD(T) estimate for the spin-state splitting in iron tetracarbonyl is 2 kcal mol(-1). Calculation of the dissociation energy of 1Fe(CO)4(L) into singlet fragments, taken together with known experimental behaviour of triplet Fe(CO)4, provides independent evidence for the fact that the spin-state splitting is smaller than 3 kcal mol(-1). These calculations highlight some of the challenges involved in benchmark calculations on transition metal containing systems.     

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.     

Theoretical study of isomerization and decomposition of propenal

We investigated the dynamics of isomerization and multi-channel dissociation of propenal (CH(2)CHCHO), methyl ketene (CH(3)CHCO), hydroxyl propadiene (CH(2)CH(2)CHOH), and hydroxyl cyclopropene (cyclic-C(3)H(3)-OH) in the ground potential-energy surface using quantum-chemical calculations. Optimized structures and vibrational frequencies of molecular species were computed with method B3LYP∕6-311G(d,p). Total energies of molecules at optimized structures were computed at the CCSD(T)∕6-311+G(3df,2p) level of theory. We established the potential-energy surface for decomposition to CH(2)CHCO + H, CH(2)CH + HCO, CH(2)CH(2)∕CH(3)CH + CO, CHCH∕CH(2)C + H(2)CO, CHCCHO∕CH(2)CCO + H(2), CHCH + CO + H(2), CH(3) + HCCO, CH(2)CCH + OH, and CH(2)CC∕cyclic-C(3)H(2) + H(2)O. Microcanonical rate coefficients of various reactions of trans-propenal with internal energies 148 and 182 kcal mol(-1) were calculated using Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus and Variational transition state theories. Product branching ratios were derivable using numerical integration of kinetic master equations and the steady-state approximation. The concerted three-body dissociation of trans-propenal to fragments C(2)H(2) + CO + H(2) is the prevailing channel in present calculations. In contrast, C(3)H(3)O + H, C(2)H(3) + HCO and C(2)H(4) + CO were identified as major channels in the photolysis of trans-propenal. The discrepancy between calculations and experiments in product branching ratios indicates that the three major photodissociation channels occur mainly on an excited potential-energy surface whereas the other channels occur mainly on the ground potential-energy surface. This work provides profound insight in the mechanisms of isomerization and multichannel dissociation of the system C(3)H(4)O.