Ab Initio Kinetics for Thermal Decomposition of CH(3)N(•)NH(2), cis-CH(3)NHN(•)H, trans-CH(3)NHN(•)H, and C(•)H(2)NNH(2) Radicals

The thermal decomposition of the CH(3)N(?)NH(2), cis-CH(3)NHN(?)H, trans-CH(3)NHN(?)H, and C(?)H(2)NNH(2) radicals, which are the four radical products from the H-abstraction reactions of monomethylhydrazine, were theoretically studied by using ab initio Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) transition-state theory and master equation analysis. Various decomposition pathways were identified by using either the QCISD(T)/cc-pV∞Z//CASPT2/aug-cc-pVTZ or the QCISD(T)/cc-pV∞Z//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) quantum chemistry methods. The results reveal that the β-scission of NH(2) to form methyleneimine is the predominant channel for the decomposition of the C(?)H(2)NNH(2) radical due to its small energy barrier of 13.8 kcal mol(-1). The high pressure limit rate coefficient for the reaction is fitted by 3.88 × 10(19)T(-1.672) exp(-9665.13/T) s(-1). In addition, the pressure dependent rate coefficients exhibit slight temperature dependence at temperatures of 1000-2500 K. The cis-CH(3)NHN(?)H and trans-CH(3)NHN(?)H radicals are the two distinct spatial isomers with an energy barrier of 26 kcal mol(-1) for their isomerization. The β-scission of CH(3) from the cis-CH(3)NHN(?)H radical to form trans-diazene has an energy barrier of 35.2 kcal mol(-1), and the β-scission of CH(3) from the trans-CH(3)NHN(?)H radical to form cis-diazene has an energy barrier of 39.8 kcal mol(-1). The CH(3)N(?)NH(2) radical undergoes the β-scission of methyl hydrogen and amine hydrogen to form CH(2)═NNH(2), trans-CH(3)N═NH, and cis-CH(3)N═NH products, with the energy barriers of 42.8, 46.0, and 50.2 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The dissociation and isomerization rate coefficients for the reactions were calculated via the E/J resolved RRKM theory and multiple-well master equation analysis at temperatures of 300-2500 K and pressures of 0.01-100 atm. The calculated rate coefficients associated with updated thermochemical property data are essential components in the development of kinetic mechanisms for the pyrolysis and oxidation of MMH and its derivatives.     

Ab initio chemical kinetic study on the reactions of ClO with C2H2 and C2H4

The mechanisms for the reactions of ClO with C(2)H(2) and C(2)H(4) have been investigated at the CCSD(T)/CBS level of theory. The results show that in both systems, the interaction between the Cl atom of the ClO radical and the triple and double bonds of C(2)H(2) and C(2)H(4) forms prereaction van der Waals complexes with the O-Cl bond pointing perpendicularly toward the π-bonds, both with 2.1 kcal/mol binding energies. The mechanism is similar to those of the HO-C(2)H(2)/C(2)H(4) systems. The rate constants for the low energy channels have been predicted by statistical theory. For the reaction of ClO and C(2)H(2), the main channels are the production of CH(2)CO + Cl (k(1a)) and CHCO + HCl (k(1b)), with k(1a) = 1.19 × 10(-15)T(1.18) exp(-5814/T) and k(1b) = 6.94 × 10(-21) × T(2.60) exp(-6587/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). For the ClO + C(2)H(4) reaction, the main pathway leads to C(2)H(4)O + Cl (k(2a)) with the predicted rate constant k(2a) = 2.13 × 10(-17)T(1.52) exp(-3849/T) in the temperature range of 300-3000 K. These rate constants are pressure-independent below 100 atm.     

Abstraction kinetics of H-atom by OH radical from pinonaldehyde (C10H16O2): ab initio and transition-state theory calculations

The kinetics and abstraction rate coefficients of hydroxyl radical (OH) reaction with pinonaldehyde were computed using G3(MP2) theory and transition-state theory (TST) between 200 and 400 K. Structures of the reactants, reaction complexes (RCs), product complexes (PCs), transition states (TSs), and products were optimized at the MP2(FULL)/6-31G* level of theory. Fifteen transition states were identified for the title reaction and confirmed by intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations. The contributions of all the individual hydrogens in the substrate molecule to the total reaction are computed. The quantum mechanical tunneling effect was computed using Wigner's and Eckart's methods (both symmetrical and unsymmetrical methods). The reaction exhibits a negative temperature dependent rate coefficient, k(T) = (1.97 ± 0.34) × 10(-13) exp[(1587 ± 48)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), k(T) = (3.02 ± 0.56) × 10(-13) exp[(1534 ± 52/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), and k(T) = (4.71 ± 1.85) × 10(-14) exp[(2042 ± 110)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) with Wigner's, Eckart's symmetrical, and Eckart's unsymmetrical tunneling corrections, respectively. Theoretically calculated rate coefficients are found to be in good agreement with the experimentally measured ones and other theoretical results. It is shown that hydrogen abstraction from -CHO position is the major channel, whereas H-abstraction from -COCH(3) is negligible. The atmospheric lifetime of pinonaldehyde is computed to be few hours and found to be in excellent agreement with the experimentally estimated ones.     

Theoretical study and rate constant computation on the reaction HFCO + OH --> CFO + H2O

The potential energy surface, including the geometries and frequencies of the stationary points, of the reaction HFCO + OH is calculated using the MP2 method with 6-31+G(d,p) basis set, which shows that the direct hydrogen abstraction route is the most dominating channel with respect to addition and substitution channels. For the hydrogen abstraction reaction, the single-point energies are refined at the QCISD(T) method with 6-311++G(2df,2pd) basis set. The calculated standard reaction enthalpy and barrier height are -17.1 and 4.9 kcal mol(-1), respectively, at the QCISD(T)/6-311++G(2df,2pd)//MP2/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory. The reaction rate constants within 250-2500 K are calculated by the improved canonical variational transition state theory (ICVT) with small-curvature tunneling (SCT) correction at the QCISD(T)/6-311++G(2df,2pd)//MP2/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory. The fitted three-parameter formula is k = 2.875 x 10(-13) (T/1000)1.85 exp(-325.0/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The results indicate that the calculated ICVT/SCT rate constant is in agreement with the experimental data, and the tunneling effect in the lower temperature range plays an important role in computing the reaction rate constants.     

Ab initio and kinetic study of the reaction of ketones with OH for T = 500-2000 K. Part I: hydrogen-abstraction from H3CC(O)CH(3-x)(CH3)x, x = 0 ↦ 2

A theoretical study is presented of the mechanism and kinetics of the reactions of the hydroxyl radical with three ketones: dimethyl (DMK), ethylmethyl (EMK) and iso-propylmethyl (iPMK) ketones. CCSD(T) values extrapolated to the basis set limit are used to benchmark the computationally less expensive methods G3 and G3MP2BH&H, for the DMK + OH reaction system. These latter methods are then used in computations involving the reactions of the larger ketones. All possible abstraction channels have been modeled. A stepwise mechanism involving the formation of a reactant complex in the entrance channel and a product complex in the exit channel has been recognized in part of the abstracting processes. High-pressure limit rate constants of the title reactions have been calculated in the temperature range of 500-2000 K using the Variflex code including Eckart tunneling corrections. Variable reaction coordinate transition state theory (VRC-TST) has been used for the rate constants of the barrier-less entrance channel. Calculated total rate constants (cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1)) are reported as follows: k(DMK) = 1.32 × 10(2)×T(3.30)exp(503/T), k(EMK) = 3.84 × 10(1)×T(3.51)exp(1515/T), k(iPMK) = 2.08 × 10(1)×T(3.58)exp(2161/T). Group rate constants (on a per H atom basis) for different carbon sites in title reactions have also been provided.     

High-accuracy measurements of OH(•) reaction rate constants and IR and UV absorption spectra: ethanol and partially fluorinated ethyl alcohols

Rate constants for the gas phase reactions of OH(?) radicals with ethanol and three fluorinated ethyl alcohols, CH(3)CH(2)OH (k(0)), CH(2)FCH(2)OH (k(1)), CHF(2)CH(2)OH (k(2)), and CF(3)CH(2)OH (k(3)) were measured using a flash photolysis resonance-fluorescence technique over the temperature range 220 to 370 K. The Arrhenius plots were found to exhibit noticeable curvature for all four reactions. The temperature dependences of the rate constants can be represented by the following expressions over the indicated temperature intervals: k(0)(220-370 K) = 5.98 × 10(-13)(T/298)(1.99) exp(+515/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), k(0)(220-298 K) = (3.35 ± 0.06) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) [for atmospheric modeling purposes, k(0)(T) is essentially temperature-independent below room temperature, k(0)(220-298 K) = (3.35 ± 0.06) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)], k(1)(230-370 K) = 3.47 × 10(-14)(T/298)(4.49) exp(+977/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), k(2)(220-370 K) = 3.87 × 10(-14)(T/298)(4.25) exp(+578/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), and k(3)(220-370 K) = 2.48 × 10(-14)(T/298)(4.03) exp(+418/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The atmospheric lifetimes due to reactions with tropospheric OH(?) were estimated to be 4, 16, 62, and 171 days, respectively, under the assumption of a well-mixed atmosphere. UV absorption cross sections of all four ethanols were measured between 160 and 215 nm. The IR absorption cross sections of the three fluorinated ethanols were measured between 400 and 1900 cm(-1), and their global warming potentials were estimated.     

Reaction mechanism between carbonyl oxide and hydroxyl radical: a theoretical study

The reaction mechanism of carbonyl oxide with hydroxyl radical was investigated by using CASSCF, B3LYP, QCISD, CASPT2, and CCSD(T) theoretical approaches with the 6-311+G(d,p), 6-311+G(2df, 2p), and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. This reaction involves the formation of H2CO + HO2 radical in a process that is computed to be exothermic by 57 kcal/mol. However, the reaction mechanism is very complex and begins with the formation of a pre-reactive hydrogen-bonded complex and follows by the addition of HO radical to the carbon atom of H2COO, forming the intermediate peroxy-radical H2C(OO)OH before producing formaldehyde and hydroperoxy radical. Our calculations predict that both the pre-reactive hydrogen-bonded complex and the transition state of the addition process lie energetically below the enthalpy of the separate reactants (DeltaH(298K) = -6.1 and -2.5 kcal/mol, respectively) and the formation of the H2C(OO)OH adduct is exothermic by about 74 kcal/mol. Beyond this addition process, further reaction mechanisms have also been investigated, which involve the abstraction of a hydrogen of carbonyl oxide by HO radical, but the computed activation barriers suggest that they will not contribute to the gas-phase reaction of H2COO + HO.     

Thermal dissociation of ethylene glycol vinyl ether

The pyrolysis of ethylene glycol vinyl ether (EGVE), an initial product of 1,4-dioxane dissociation, was examined in a diaphragmless shock tube (DFST) using laser schlieren densitometry (LS) at 57 ± 2 and 122 ± 3 Torr over 1200-1800 K. DFST/time-of-flight mass spectrometry experiments were also performed to identify reaction products. EGVE was found to dissociate via two channels: (1) a molecular H atom transfer/C-O scission to produce C(2)H(3)OH and CH(3)CHO, and (2) a radical channel involving C-O bond fission generating ˙CH(2)CH(2)OH and ˙CH(2)CHO radicals, with the second channel being strongly dominant over the entire experimental range. A reaction mechanism was constructed for the pyrolysis of EGVE which simulates the LS profiles very well over the full experimental range. The decomposition of EGVE is clearly well into the falloff region for these conditions, and a Gorin model RRKM fit was obtained for the dominant radical channel. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data and suggest the following rate coefficient expressions: k(2,∞) = (6.71 ± 2.6) × 10(27) × T(-3.21)exp(-35512/T) s(-1); k(2)(120 Torr) = (1.23 ± 0.5) × 10(92) × T(-22.87)exp(-48?248/T) s(-1); k(2)(60 Torr) = (2.59 ± 1.0) × 10(88) × T(-21.96)exp(-46283/T) s(-1).     

Theoretical studies on the unimolecular decomposition of ethylene glycol

The unimolecular decomposition processes of ethylene glycol have been investigated with the QCISD(T) method with geometries optimized at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Among the decomposition channels identified, the H(2)O-elimination channels have the lowest barriers, and the C-C bond dissociation is the lowest-energy dissociation channel among the barrierless reactions (the direct bond cleavage reactions). The temperature and pressure dependent rate constant calculations show that the H(2)O-elimination reactions are predominant at low temperature, whereas at high temperature, the direct C-C bond dissociation reaction is dominant. At 1 atm, in the temperature range 500-2000 K, the calculated rate constant is expressed to be 7.63 × 10(47)T(-10.38) exp(-42262/T) for the channel CH(2)OHCH(2)OH → CH(2)CHOH + H(2)O, and 2.48 × 10(51)T(-11.58) exp(-43593/T) for the channel CH(2)OHCH(2)OH → CH(3)CHO + H(2)O, whereas for the direct bond dissociation reaction CH(2)OHCH(2)OH → CH(2)OH + CH(2)OH the rate constant expression is 1.04 × 10(71)T(-16.16) exp(-52414/T).     

Shock tube/laser absorption measurements of the reaction rates of OH with ethylene and propene

Reaction rates of hydroxyl (OH) radicals with ethylene (C?H?) and propene (C?H?) were studied behind reflected shock waves. OH + ethylene → products (rxn 1) rate measurements were conducted in the temperature range 973-1438 K, for pressures from 2 to 10 atm, and for initial concentrations of ethylene of 500, 751, and 1000 ppm. OH + propene → products (rxn 2) rate measurements spanned temperatures of 890-1366 K, pressures near 2.3 atm, and initial propene concentrations near 300 ppm. OH radicals were produced by shock-heating tert-butyl hydroperoxide, (CH?)?-CO-OH, and monitored by laser absorption near 306.7 nm. Rate constants for the reactions of OH with ethylene and propene were extracted by matching modeled and measured OH concentration time-histories in the reflected shock region. Current data are in excellent agreement with previous studies and extend the temperature range of OH + propene data. Transition state theory calculations using recent ab initio results give excellent agreement with our measurements and other data outside our temperature range. Fits (in units of cm3/mol/s) to the abstraction channels of OH + ethylene and OH + propene are k? = 2.23 × 10? (T)(2.745) exp(-1115 K/T) for 600-2000 K and k? = 1.94 × 10? (T)(2.229) exp(-540 K/T) for 700-1500 K, respectively. A rate constant determination for the reaction TBHP → products (rxn 3) was also obtained in the range 745-1014 K using OH data from behind both incident and reflected shock waves. These high-temperature measurements were fit with previous low-temperature data, and the following rate expression (0.6-2.6 atm), applicable over the temperature range 400-1050 K, was obtained: k? (1/s) = 8.13 × 10?12 (T)(7.83) exp(-14598 K/T).     

Hydrogen atom abstraction selectivity in the reactions of alkylamines with the benzyloxyl and cumyloxyl radicals. The importance of structure and of substrate radical hydrogen bonding

A time-resolved kinetic study on the hydrogen abstraction reactions from a series of primary and secondary amines by the cumyloxyl (CumO(?)) and benzyloxyl (BnO(?)) radicals was carried out. The results were compared with those obtained previously for the corresponding reactions with tertiary amines. Very different hydrogen abstraction rate constants (k(H)) and intermolecular selectivities were observed for the reactions of the two radicals. With CumO(?), k(H) was observed to decrease on going from the tertiary to the secondary and primary amines. The lowest k(H) values were measured for the reactions with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) and tert-octylamine (TOA), substrates that can only undergo N-H abstraction. The opposite behavior was observed for the reactions of BnO(?), where the k(H) values increased in the order tertiary < secondary < primary. The k(H) values for the reactions of BnO(?) were in all cases significantly higher than those measured for the corresponding reactions of CumO(?), and no significant difference in reactivity was observed between structurally related substrates that could undergo exclusive α-C-H and N-H abstraction. This different behavior is evidenced by the k(H)(BnO(?))/k(H)(CumO(?)) ratios that range from 55-85 and 267-673 for secondary and primary alkylamines up to 1182 and 3388 for TMP and TOA. The reactions of CumO(?) were described in all cases as direct hydrogen atom abstractions. With BnO(?) the results were interpreted in terms of the rate-determining formation of a hydrogen-bonded prereaction complex between the radical α-C-H and the amine lone pair wherein hydrogen abstraction occurs. Steric effects and amine HBA ability play a major role, whereas the strength of the substrate α-C-H and N-H bonds involved appears to be relatively unimportant. The implications of these different mechanistic pictures are discussed.     

High-temperature measurements of the reactions of OH with a series of ketones: acetone, 2-butanone, 3-pentanone, and 2-pentanone

The overall rate constants for the reactions of hydroxyl radicals (OH) with a series of ketones, namely, acetone (CH(3)COCH(3)), 2-butanone (C(2)H(5)COCH(3)), 3-pentanone (C(2)H(5)COC(2)H(5)), and 2-pentanone (C(3)H(7)COCH(3)), were studied behind reflected shock waves over the temperature range of 870-1360 K at pressures of 1-2 atm. OH radicals were produced by rapid thermal decomposition of the OH precursor tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and were monitored by the narrow line width ring dye laser absorption of the well-characterized R(1)(5) line in the OH A-X (0, 0) band near 306.69 nm. The overall rate constants were inferred by comparing the measured OH time histories with the simulated profiles from the detailed mechanisms of Pichon et al. (2009) and Serinyel et al. (2010). These measured values can be expressed in Arrhenius form as k(CH3COCH3+OH) = 3.30 × 10(13) exp(-2437/T) cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1), k(C2H5COCH3+OH )= 6.35 × 10(13) exp(-2270/T) cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1), k(C2H5COC2H5+OH) = 9.29 × 10(13) exp(-2361/T) cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1), and k(C3H7COCH3+OH) = 7.06 × 10(13) exp(-2020/T) cm(3) mol(-1) s(-1). The measured rate constant for the acetone + OH reaction from the current study is consistent with three previous experimental studies from Bott and Cohen (1991), Vasudevan et al. (2005), and Srinivasan et al. (2007), within ±20%. Here, we also present the first direct high-temperature rate constant measurements of 2-butanone + OH, 3-pentanone + OH, and 2-pentanone + OH reactions. The measured values for the 2-butanone + OH reaction are in close accord with the theoretical calculation from Zhou et al. (2011), and the measured values for the 3-pentanone + OH reaction are in excellent agreement with the estimates (by analogy with the H-atom abstraction rate constants from alkanes) from Serinyel et al. Finally, the structure-activity relationship from Kwok and Atkinson (1995) was used to estimate these four rate constants, and the estimated values from this group-additivity model show good agreement with the measurements (within ~25%) at the present experimental conditions.     

Kinetics of the reaction of methyl radical with hydroxyl radical and methanol decomposition

The CH3 + OH bimolecular reaction and the dissociation of methanol are studied theoretically at conditions relevant to combustion chemistry. Kinetics for the CH3 + OH barrierless association reaction and for the H + CH2OH and H + CH3O product channels are determined in the high-pressure limit using variable reaction coordinate transition state theory and multireference electronic structure calculations to evaluate the fragment interaction energies. The CH3 + OH --> 3CH2 + H2O abstraction reaction and the H2 + HCOH and H2 + H2CO product channels feature localized dynamical bottlenecks and are treated using variational transition state theory and QCISD(T) energies extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. The 1CH2 + H2O product channel has two dynamical regimes, featuring both an inner saddle point and an outer barrierless region, and it is shown that a microcanonical two-state model is necessary to properly describe the association rate for this reaction over a broad temperature range. Experimental channel energies for the methanol system are reevaluated using the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) approach. Pressure dependent, phenomenological rate coefficients for the CH3 + OH bimolecular reaction and for methanol decomposition are determined via master equation simulations. The predicted results agree well with experimental results, including those from a companion high-temperature shock tube determination for the decomposition of methanol.     

Gaseous reaction mechanism of C2F radical with water

The kinetic properties of the carbon-fluorine radicals are little understood except those of CFn (n =1-3). In this article, a detailed mechanistic study was reported on the gas-phase reaction between the simplest pi-bonded C2F radical and water as the first attempt to understand the chemical reactivity of the C2F radical. Various reaction channels are considered. The most kinetically competitive channel is the quasi-direct hydrogen-abstraction route forming P5 HCCF + OH. At the CCSD(T)/6-311+G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)+ZPVE, CCSD(T)/6-311+G(3df,2p)//QCISD/6-311G(d,p)+ZPVE and Gaussian-3//B3LYP/6-31G(d) levels, the overall H-abstraction barriers (4.5, 4.7, and 4.2 kcal/mol) for the C2F + H2O reaction are comparable to the corresponding values (5.5, 3.7, and 5.7 kcal/mol) for the analogous C2H + H2O reaction. This suggests that C2F is a reactive radical like the extensively studied C2H, in contrast to the situation of the CF and CF2 radicals that have much lower reactivity than the corresponding hydrocarbon species. Thus, the C2F radical is expected to play an important role in the combustion processes of the carbon-fluorine chemistry. Furthermore, addition of a second H2O can catalyze the reaction with the H-abstraction barrier significantly reduced to a marginally zero value (0.5 kcal/mol). This is also indicative of the potential relevance of the title reactions in the low-temperature atmospheric chemistry.     

Ab initio studies of alkyl radical reactions: Combination and disproportionation reactions of CH3 with C2H5, and the decomposition of chemically activated C3H8

This paper reports the first quantitative ab initio prediction of the disproportionation/combination ratio of alkyl+alkyl reactions using CH3+C2H5 as an example. The reaction has been investigated by the modified Gaussian-2 method with variational transition state or Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations for several channels producing (1) CH4+CH2CH2, (2) C3H8, (3) CH4CH3CH, (4) H2+CH3CHCH2, (5) H2+CH3CCH3, and (6) C2H6+CH2 by H-abstraction and association/decomposition mechanisms through singlet and triplet potential energy paths. Significantly, the disproportionation reaction (1) producing CH4+C2H4 was found to occur primarily by the lowest energy path via a loose hydrogen-bonding singlet molecular complex, H3CHC2H4, with a 3.5 kcal/mol binding energy and a small decomposition barrier (1.9 kcal/mol), instead of a direct H-abstraction process. Bimolecular reaction rate constants for the formation of the above products have been calculated in the temperature range 300-3000 K. At 1 atm, formation of C3H8 is dominant below 1200 K. Over 1200 K, the disproportionation reaction becomes competitive. The sum of products (3)-(6) accounts for less than 0.3% below 1500 K and it reaches around 1%-4% above 2000 K. The predicted rate constant for the disproportionation reaction with multiple reflections above the complex well, k1=5.04 x T(0.41) exp(429/T) at 200-600 K and k1=1.96 x 10(-20) T(2.45) exp(1470/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) at 600-3000 K, agrees closely with experimental values. Similarly, the predicted high-pressure rate constants for the combination reaction forming C3H8 and its reverse dissociation reaction in the temperature range 300-3000 K, k2(infinity)=2.41 x 10(-10) T(-0.34) exp(259/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) and k(-2)(infinity)=8.89 x 10(22) T(-1.67)exp(-46 037/T) s(-1), respectively, are also in good agreement with available experimental data.     

Computational study of hydrogen-bonded complexes of HOCO with acids: HOCO⋯HCOOH, HOCO⋯H(2)SO(4), and HOCO⋯H(2)CO(3)

Quantum chemistry calculations at the density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP), MP2, QCISD, QCISD(T), and CCSD(T) levels in conjunction with 6-311++G(2d,2p) and 6-311++G(2df,2p) basis sets have been performed to explore the binding energies of open-shell hydrogen bonded complexes formed between the HOCO radical (both cis-HOCO and trans-HOCO) and trans-HCOOH (formic acid), H(2)SO(4) (sulfuric acid), and cis-cis-H(2)CO(3) (carbonic acid). Calculations at the CCSD(T)∕6-311++G(2df,2p) level predict that these open-shell complexes have relatively large binding energies ranging between 9.4 to 13.5 kcal∕mol and that cis-HOCO (cH) binds more strongly compared to trans-HOCO in these complexes. The zero-point-energy-corrected binding strengths of the cH?Acid complexes are comparable to that of the formic acid homodimer complex (～13-14 kcal∕mol). Infrared fundamental frequencies and intensities of the complexes are computed within the harmonic approximation. Infrared spectroscopy is suggested as a potential useful tool for detection of these HOCO?Acid complexes in the laboratory as well as in various planetary atmospheres since complex formation is found to induce large frequency shifts and intensity enhancement of the H-bonded OH stretching fundamental relative to that of the corresponding parent monomers. Finally, the ability of an acid molecule such as formic acid to catalyze the inter-conversion between the cis- and trans-HOCO isomers in the gas phase is also discussed.     

Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of OH and O3 with β-ocimene, β-myrcene, and α- and β-farnesene as a function of temperature

The rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of hydroxyl radicals and ozone with the biogenic hydrocarbons β-ocimene, β-myrcene, and α- and β-farnesene were measured using the relative rate technique over the temperature ranges 313-423 (for OH) and 298-318 K (for O?) at about 1 atm total pressure. The OH radicals were generated by photolysis of H?O?, and O? was produced from the electrolysis of O?. Helium was used as the diluent gas. The reactants were detected by online mass spectrometry, which resulted in high time resolution, allowing large amounts of data to be collected and used in the determination of the Arrhenius parameters. The following Arrhenius expressions have been determined for these reactions (in units of cm3 molecules?1 s?1): for β-ocimene + OH, k = (4.35(-0.66)(+0.78)) × 10?11 exp[(579 ± 59)/T]; for β-ocimene + O?, k = (3.15(-0.95)(+1.36)) × 10?1? exp[-(626 ± 110)/T]; for β-myrcene + O?, k = (2.21(-0.66)(+0.94)) × 10?1? exp[-(520 ± 109)/T]; for α-farnesene + OH, k(OH) = (2.19 ± 0.11) × 10?1? for 23-413 K; for α-farnesene + O?, k = (3.52(-2.54)(+9.09)) × 10?12 exp[-(2589 ± 393)/T]; for β-farnesene + OH, k(OH) = (2.88 ± 0.15) × 10?1? for 323-423 K; for β-farnesene + O?, k = (1.81(-1.19)(+3.46)) × 10?12 exp[-(2347 ± 329)/T]. The Arrhenius parameters here are the first to be reported. The reactions of α- and β-farnesene with OH showed no significant temperature dependence. Atmospheric residence times due to reactions with OH and O? were also presented.     

Hydrogen atom abstraction reactions from tertiary amines by benzyloxyl and cumyloxyl radicals: influence of structure on the rate-determining formation of a hydrogen-bonded prereaction complex

A time-resolved kinetic study on the hydrogen atom abstraction reactions from a series of tertiary amines by the cumyloxyl (CumO(?)) and benzyloxyl (BnO(?)) radicals was carried out. With the sterically hindered triisobutylamine, comparable hydrogen atom abstraction rate constants (k(H)) were measured for the two radicals (k(H)(BnO(?))/k(H)(CumO(?)) = 2.8), and the reactions were described as direct hydrogen atom abstractions. With the other amines, increases in k(H)(BnO(?))/k(H)(CumO(?)) ratios of 13 to 2027 times were observed. k(H) approaches the diffusion limit in the reactions between BnO(?) and unhindered cyclic and bicyiclic amines, whereas a decrease in reactivity is observed with acyclic amines and with the hindered cyclic amine 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethylpiperidine. These results provide additional support to our hypothesis that the reaction proceeds through the rate-determining formation of a C-H/N hydrogen-bonded prereaction complex between the benzyloxyl α-C-H and the nitrogen lone pair wherein hydrogen atom abstraction occurs, and demonstrate the important role of amine structure on the overall reaction mechanism. Additional mechanistic information in support of this picture is obtained from the study of the reactions of the amines with a deuterated benzyloxyl radical (PhCD(2)O(?), BnO(?)-d(2)) and the 3,5-di-tert-butylbenzyloxyl radical.     

Kinetics of the OH + ClOOCl and OH + Cl2O reactions: experiment and theory

The rate coefficients for the reactions OH + ClOOCl --> HOCl + ClOO (eq 5) and OH + Cl2O --> HOCl + ClO (eq 6) were measured using a fast flow reactor coupled with molecular beam quadrupole mass spectrometry. OH was detected using resonance fluorescence at 309 nm. The measured Arrhenius expressions for these reactions are k5 = (6.0 +/- 3.5) x 10(-13) exp((670 +/- 230)/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) and k6 = (5.1 +/- 1.5) x 10(-12) exp((100 +/- 92)/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), respectively, where the uncertainties are reported at the 2sigma level. Investigation of the OH + ClOOCl potential energy surface using high level ab initio calculations indicates that the reaction occurs via a chlorine abstraction from ClOOCl by the OH radical. The lowest energy pathway is calculated to proceed through a weak ClOOCl-OH prereactive complex that is bound by 2.6 kcal mol(-1) and leads to ClOO and HOCl products. The transition state to product formation is calculated to be 0.59 kcal mol(-1) above the reactant energy level. Inclusion of the OH + ClOOCl rate data into an atmospheric model indicates that this reaction contributes more than 15% to ClOOCl loss during twilight conditions in the Arctic stratosphere. Reducing the rate of ClOOCl photolysis, as indicated by a recent re-examination of the ClOOCl UV absorption spectrum, increases the contribution of the OH + ClOOCl reaction to polar stratospheric loss of ClOOCl.     

Site-specific rate coefficients for reaction of OH with ethanol from 298 to 900 K

The rate coefficients for reactions of OH with ethanol and partially deuterated ethanols have been measured by laser flash photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence over the temperature range 298-523 K and 5-100 Torr of helium bath gas. The rate coefficient, k(1.1), for reaction of OH with C(2)H(5)OH is given by the expression k(1.1) = 1.06 × 10(-22)T(3.58)?exp(1126/T) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), and the values are in good agreement with previous literature. Site-specific rate coefficients were determined from the measured kinetic isotope effects. Over the temperature region 298-523 K abstraction from the hydroxyl site is a minor channel. The reaction is dominated by abstraction of the α hydrogens (92 ± 8)% at 298 K decreasing to (76 ± 9)% with the balance being abstraction at the β position where the errors are 2σ. At higher temperatures decomposition of the CH(2)CH(2)OH product from β abstraction complicates the kinetics. From 575 to 650 K, biexponential decays were observed, allowing estimates to be made for k(1.1) and the fractional production of CH(2)CH(2)OH. Above 650 K, decomposition of the CH(2)CH(2)OH product was fast on the time scale of the measured kinetics and removal of OH corresponds to reaction at the α and OH sites. The kinetics agree (within ±20%) with previous measurements. Evidence suggests that reaction at the OH site is significant at our higher temperatures: 47-53% at 865 K.