A new reaction path for the C + NO reaction: dynamics on the 4A' potential-energy surface

We present a new reaction path without significant barriers for the C + NO reaction, forming ground state N((4)S) and CO. Electronic structure (CASPT2) calculations have been performed for the two lowest (4)A' states of the CNO system. The lowest of these states shows no significant barriers against reaction in the C + NO or O + CN channels. This surface has been fitted to an analytical function using a many-body expansion. Using this surface, and the previously published (2)A' and (2)A' surfaces [Andersson et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2000, 2, 613; Andersson et al., Chem. Phys., 2000, 259, 99], we have performed quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations, obtaining rate coefficients for the C((3)P) + NO(X(2)Pi) --> CO(X(1)Sigma(+)) + N((4)S,(2)D) and C((3)P) + NO(X(2)Pi) --> O((3)P) + CN(X(2)Sigma(+)) reactions. We have also simulated the crossed molecular beam experiments of Naulin et al. [Chem. Phys., 1991, 153, 519] The inclusion of the (4)A' surface in the QCT calculations gives excellent agreement with experiments. This is the first time an adiabatic pathway from C((3)P) + NO(X(2)Pi) to CO(X(1)Sigma(+))+N((4)S) has been reported.     

Quantum chemical and statistical rate investigation of the CF2(a3B1)+NO(X2Pi) reaction: a fast chemical quenching process

The reaction of CF2(a3B1) with NO(X2Pi) was theoretically investigated using the B3LYP, MP2, CCSD(T), G2M, CASSCF, and CASPT2 quantum chemical methods with various basis sets including 6-31G(d), 6-311G(d), 6-311+G(3df), cc-pVDZ, and cc-pVTZ. In agreement with the experimental kinetic data, the CF2(a3B1)+NO(X2Pi) reaction is found to proceed via a fast, barrier-free combination. This process, occurring on the doublet potential energy surface, leads to the electronically excited adduct F2C-NO(22A'), which readily undergoes a surface hopping to the 12A' electronic surface, with a Landau-Zener transition probability estimated to be close to 90% per C-N vibration. The metastable adduct F2C-NO(12A') can then either spontaneously decompose into CF2(X1A1)+NO(X2Pi) in a direct chemical quenching mechanism or relax to its ground-state equilibrium structure F2CNO(X2A'). The product distribution resulting from the latter, chemically activated intermediate was evaluated by solution of the master equation (ME), under different reaction conditions, using the exact stochastic simulation method; microcanonical rate constants were computed using Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory, based on the potential energy surfaces (PESs) constructed using both G2M and CASPT2 methods. The RRKM/ME analysis reveals that the hot F2CNO(X2A') rapidly fragments almost exclusively to the same products as above, CF2(X1A1)+NO(X2Pi), which amounts to an indirect chemical quenching mechanism. The reaction on the quartet PES is unlikely to be significant except at very high temperatures. The high crossing probability (up to 90%) between the two "avoided" doublet PESs points out the inherent difficulty in treating chemically activated reactions with fast-moving nuclei within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation.     

Theoretical calculation of the NMR spin-spin coupling constants and the NMR shifts allow distinguishability between the specific direct and the water-mediated binding of a divalent metal cation to guanine

The calculated intermolecular and intramolecular indirect NMR spin-spin coupling constants and NMR shifts were used for the discrimination between the inner-shell and the outer-shell binding motif of hydrated divalent cations Mg(2+) or Zn(2+) with a guanine base. The intermolecular coupling constants (1)J(X,O6) and (1)J(X,N7) (X = Mg(2+), Zn(2+)) can be unambiguously assigned to the specific inner-shell binding motif of the hydrated cation either with oxygen O6 or with nitrogen N7 of guanine. The calculated coupling constants (1)J(Mg,O6) and (1)J(Zn,O6) were 6.2 and -17.5 Hz, respectively, for the inner-shell complex of cation directly interacting with oxygen O6 of guanine. For the inner-shell coordination of the cation at nitrogen N7, the calculated coupling constants (1)J(Mg,N7) and (1)J(Zn,N7) were 5.6 and -36.5 Hz, respectively. When the binding of the cation is water-mediated, the coupling constant is zero. To obtain reliable shifts in NMR parameters, hydrated guanine was utilized as the reference state. The calculated change of NMR spin-spin coupling constants due to the hydration and coordination of the cation with guanine is caused mainly by the variation of Fermi-contact coupling contribution while the variation of diamagnetic spin-orbit, paramagnetic spin-orbit, and spin-dipolar coupling contributions is small. The change of s-character of guanine sigma bonding, sigma antibonding, and lone pair orbitals upon the hydration and cation coordination (calculated using the Natural Bond Orbital analysis) correlates with the variation of the Fermi-contact term. The calculated NMR shifts delta(N7) of -15.3 and -12.2 ppm upon the coordination of Mg(2+) and Zn(2+) ion are similar to the NMR shift of 19.6 ppm toward the high field measured by Tanaka for N7 of guanine upon the coordination of the Cd(2+) cation (Tanaka, Y.; Kojima, C.; Morita, E. H.; Kasai. Y.; Yamasaki, K.; Ono, A.; Kainosho, M.; Taira, K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 4595-4601). The present data indicate that measurements of NMR intermolecular coupling constants may be used to discriminate between the specific inner- and outer-shell binding of divalent cations to nucleobases in DNA and RNA.     

N(4S)+ NO(X2Π)→N2(X3Σg-)+O(3P) 反应的立体动力学研究

采用准经典轨线方法研究了在不同碰撞能下，碰撞反应N(4S)+NO(X2Π)→ N2(X3Σg- )+O(3P)在两个最低势能面3A 和 3A'上产物与反应物之间的矢量相关. 结果表明，对于不同的碰撞能，在两个势能面上反应产物的转动取向展示了不同的特征和趋势. 随着碰撞能的增加，发生在3A 势能面上的反应主要受外平面机理支配，而发生在 3A' 势能面上的反应倾向于受内平面机理支配. 这些差异来自于两个势能面的不同构型.     

The weakly-bound complex Cl.N2O studied by high resolution photodetachment photoelectron spectroscopy

Zero kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy of the weakly bound complex Cl(-).N(2)O is presented. Adiabatic detachment energies between the anionic complex and the neutral complex states X(1/2), I(3/2), and II(1/2) as well as frequencies of van der Waals modes are supplied. Supported by theoretical simulations, these results correlate with a T-shaped structure of the anionic and an L-shaped structure of the neutral molecular complex. The weakly bound neutral complex Cl.N(2)O has been discussed as a prereactive state of the chemical reaction Cl + N(2)O --> ClO + N(2) [A. Lesar, M. Hodoscek, M. Senegacnik, J. Chem. Phys. 1996, 105, 917].     

A theoretical study of the mechanism and kinetics of F+N3 reactions.

Both the singlet(1A') and triplet(3A') potential energy surfaces (PESs) of F+N(3) reactions are investigated using the complete-active-space self-consistent field (CASSCF) and the multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) methods with a proper active space. The minimum energy crossing point (MECP) at the intersection seam between the 1A' and 3A' PESs is located and used to clarify the reaction mechanisms. Two triplet transition states are found, with one in the cis form and the other one in the trans form. Further kinetic calculations are performed with the canonical unified statistical (CUS) theory on the singlet PES and the improved canonical variational transition-state (ICVT) method on the triplet PES. The rate constants are also reported. At 298 K, the calculated rate constant is in reasonably good agreement with experimental values, and spin-orbit coupling effects lower it by 28 %. The spectroscopic constants derived from the fitted potential-energy curves for the singlet and triplet states of NF are in very good agreement with experimental values. Our calculations indicate that the adiabatic reaction on the singlet PES leading to NF(a(1)Delta)+N(2) is the major channel, whereas the nonadiabatic reaction through the MECP, which leads to NF(X(3)Sigma(-))+N(2), is a minor channel.     

Metal-dependent reactions of bulky metal(II) amides M[N(SiMe3)2]2 with 3,3'-disubstituted binaphthols (HO)2C20H10(SiR3)2-3,3': selective conversion of one equivalent -OH group to a silyl ether -OSiMe3

The outcome of the reaction of the bulky metal(II) amides M[N(SiMe3)2]2. nTHF (M = Be, Zn, Ge, Sn, n = 0; M = Mg, Ca, n = 2) with (R)-3,3'-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,1'-bi-2,2'-naphthol ((R)-1) or (S)-3,3'-bis(dimethylphenylsilyl)-1,1'-bi-2,2'-naphthol ((S)-9) depends on the identity of the metal and the nature of the 3,3'-substituents. When M = Be, Zn, or Ge, these amides serve as useful silylation agents that convert only one of the equivalent hydroxyl groups of the binaphthol (R)-1 to a trimethylsilyl ether, whereas the reactions of (R)-1 with the Mg, Ca, or Sn amides generate a polynuclear complex. The reaction pathway for these interconversions was qualitatively monitored using NMR ((1)H and (9)Be) spectroscopy. Treatment of Ge[N(SiMe3)2] 2 with (S)-9 yields both a silyl ether and the chelated germanium(II) binaphthoxide (S)-[Ge{O2C20H10(SiMe2Ph)2-3,3'}{NH3}], which was structurally characterized.     

Efficient vibrational relaxation of O2(X 3sigma(g)-, nu = 8) by collisions with CF4

A laser flash photolysis-laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique has been employed to study the relaxation kinetics of vibrationally excited O2(X 3sigma(g)-. The time-resolved LIF excited B 3sigma(u)(-)-X 3sigma(g)- system has been recorded and analyzed by the integrated-profiles method. The rate coefficient for vibrational relaxation of O2(X 3sigma(g)-, nu = 8) by collisions with CF(4), [1.4 +/- 0.3(2sigma)] x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), indicates that CF4 is an efficient relaxant of O2(X 3sigma(g)- and that the propensity rule for O2 relaxation suggested by Mack et al. (J. A. Mack, K. Mikulecky and A. M. Wodtke, J. Chem. Phys., 1996, 105, 4105) has been observed experimentally.     

Quantum mechanical investigations of the N(4S)+O2(X 3Sigmag -)-->NO(X 2Pi)+O(3P) reaction

The reaction between energetic nitrogen atoms and oxygen molecules has received important attention in connection with nitric oxide chemistry in the lower thermosphere. We report time-independent quantum mechanical calculations of the N(4S)+O2-->NO+O reaction employing the X 2A' and a 4A' electronic potential energy surfaces of Sayos et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 117, 670 (2002)]. We confirm the production of highly vibrationally excited NO molecules, consistent with previous semiclassical and more recent time-dependent quantum wave packet studies. Calculations are carried out for total angular momentum quantum number J=0 and cross sections and rate coefficients are extracted using the J-shifting approximation. The results are in good agreement with available experimental and theoretical data.     

Radiative association of He+ with H2 at temperatures below 100 K

The paper presents a theoretical study of the low-energy dynamics of radiative association processes in the He+ + H2 collision system. Formation of the triatomic HeH2(+) ion in its bound rotation-vibration states on the potential-energy surfaces of the ground and of the first excited electronic states is investigated. Close-coupling calculations are performed to determine detailed state-to-state characteristics (bound <-- free transition rates, radiative and dissociative widths of resonances) as well as temperature-average characteristics (rate constants, photon emission spectra) of the two-state (X <-- A) reaction He+(2S) + H2(X1sigma(g)+) --> HeH2(+)(X2A') + h nu and of the single-state (A <-- A) reaction He+(2S) + H2(X1sigma(g)+) --> HeH2(+)(A2A') + h nu. The potential-energy surfaces of the X- and A-electronic states of HeH2(+) and the dipole moment surfaces determined ab initio in an earlier work [Kraemer, Spirko, and Bludsky, Chem. Phys. 276, 225 (2002)] are used in the calculations. The rate constants k(T) as functions of temperature are calculated for the temperature interval 1 < or = T < or = 100 K. The maximum k(T) values are predicted as 3.3 x 10(-15) s(-1) cm3 for the X <-- A reaction and 2.3 x 10(-20) s(-1) cm3 for the A <-- A reaction at temperatures around 2 K. Rotationally predissociating states of the He+-H2 complex, correlating with the upsilon = 0, j = 2 state of free H2, are found to play a crucial role in the dynamics of the association reactions at low temperatures; their contribution to the k(T) function of the X <-- A reaction at T < 30 K is estimated as larger than 80%. The calculated partial rate constants and emission spectra show that in the X <-- A reaction the HeH2(+)(X) ion is formed in its highly excited vibrational states. This is in contrast with the vibrational state population of the ion when formed via the (X <-- X) reaction He(1S) + H2(+)(X2sigma(g)+) --> HeH2(+)(X2A') + h nu.     

A kinetic study of Ca-containing ions reacting with O, O2, CO2 and H2O: implications for calcium ion chemistry in the upper atmosphere

A series of gas-phase reactions involving molecular Ca-containing ions was studied by the pulsed laser ablation of a calcite target to produce Ca(+) in a fast flow of He, followed by the addition of reagents downstream and detection of ions by quadrupole mass spectrometry. Most of the reactions that were studied are important for describing the chemistry of meteor-ablated calcium in the earth's upper atmosphere. The following rate coefficients were measured: k(CaO(+) + O --> Ca(+) + O(2)) = (4.2 +/- 2.8) x 10(-11) at 197 K and (6.3 +/- 3.0) x 10(-11) at 294 K; k(CaO(+) + CO --> Ca(+) + CO(2), 294 K) = (2.8 +/- 1.5) x 10(-10); k(Ca(+).CO(2) + O(2) --> CaO(2)(+) + CO(2), 294 K) = (1.2 +/- 0.5) x10(-10); k(Ca(+).CO(2) + H(2)O --> Ca(+).H(2)O + CO(2)) = (13.0 +/- 4.0) x 10(-10); and k(Ca(+).H(2)O + O(2) --> CaO(2)(+) + H(2)O, 294 K) = (4.0 +/- 2.5) x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The quoted uncertainties are a combination of the 1sigma standard errors in the kinetic data and the systematic errors in the models used to extract the rate coefficients. Rate coefficients were also obtained for the following recombination (also termed association) reactions in He bath gas: k(Ca(+).CO(2) + CO(2) --> Ca(+).(CO(2))(2), 294 K) = (2.6 +/- 1.0) x 10(-29); k(Ca(+).H(2)O + H(2)O --> Ca(+).(H(2)O)(2)) = (1.6 +/- 1.1) x 10(-27); and k(CaO(2)(+) + O(2) --> CaO(2)(+).O(2)) < 1 x 10(-31) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1). These recombination rate coefficients, as well as those for the ligand-switching reactions listed above, were then interpreted using a combination of high level quantum chemistry calculations and RRKM theory using an inverse Laplace transform solution of the master equation. The surprisingly slow reaction between CaO(+) and O was explained using quantum chemistry calculations on the lowest (2)A', (2)A' and (4)A' potential energy surfaces. These calculations indicate that reaction mostly occurs on the (2)A' surface, leading to production of Ca(+)((2)S) + O(2)((1)Delta(g)). The importance of this reaction for controlling the lifetime of Ca(+) in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere is then discussed.     

Nonadiabatic dynamics of O(1D) + N2(X1Σg+) → O(3P) + N2(X1Σg+) on three coupled potential surfaces: symmetry, Coriolis, spin-orbit, and Renner-Teller effects

We present the spin-orbit (SO) and Renner-Teller (RT) quantum dynamics of the spin-forbidden quenching O((1)D) + N(2)(X(1)Σ(g)(+)) → O((3)P) + N(2)(X(1)Σ(g)(+)) on the N(2)O X(1)A', ?(3)A", and b(3)A' coupled PESs. We use the permutation-inversion symmetry, propagate coupled-channel (CC) real wavepackets, and compute initial-state-resolved probabilities and cross sections σ(j(0)) for the ground vibrational and the first two rotational states of N(2), j(0) = 0 and 1. Labeling symmetry angular states by j and K, we report selection rules for j and for the minimum K value associated with any electronic state, showing that ?(3)A" is uncoupled in the centrifugal-sudden (CS) approximation at j(0) = 0. The dynamics is resonance-dominated, the probabilities are larger at low K, σ(j(0)) decrease with the collision energy and increase with j(0), and the CS σ(0) is lower than the CC one. The nonadiabatic interactions play different roles on the quenching dynamics, because the X(1)A'-b(3)A' SO effects are those most important while the ?(3)A"-b(3)A' RT ones are negligible.     

Quantum chemical and theoretical kinetics study of the O(3P) + C2H2 reaction: a multistate process

The potential energy surfaces of the two lowest-lying triplet electronic surfaces 3A' and 3A' for the O(3P) + C2H2 reaction were theoretically reinvestigated, using various quantum chemical methods including CCSD(T), QCISD, CBS-QCI/APNO, CBS-QB3, G2M(CC,MP2), DFT-B3LYP and CASSCF. An efficient reaction pathway on the electronically excited 3A' surface resulting in H(2S) + HCCO(A2A') was newly identified and is predicted to play an important role at higher temperatures. The primary product distribution for the multistate multiwell reaction was then determined by RRKM statistical rate theory and weak-collision master equation analysis using the exact stochastic simulation method. Allowing for nonstatistical behavior of the internal rotation mode of the initial 3A' adducts, our computed primary-product distributions agree well with the available experimental results, i.e., ca. 80% H(2S) + HCCO(X2A' + A2A') and 20% CH2(X3B1) + CO(X1sigma+) independent of temperature and pressure over the wide 300-2000 K and 0-10 atm ranges. The thermal rate coefficient k(O + C2H2) at 200-2000 K was computed using multistate transition state theory: k(T) = 6.14 x 10(-15)T (1.28) exp(-1244 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); this expression, obtained after reducing the CBS-QCI/APNO ab initio entrance barriers by 0.5 kcal/mol, quasi-perfectly matches the experimental k(T) data over the entire 200-2000 K range, spanning 3 orders of magnitude.     

Reaction pathway and potential barrier for the CaH product in the reaction of Ca(4s4p1P1) + H2 --> CaH(X2Sigma+) + H

The nascent CaH product in the reaction Ca(4s4p1P1) + H2 --> CaH(X2Sigma+) + H is obtained using a pump-probe technique. The CaH(v = 0,1) distributions, with a population ratio of CaH(v = 0)/CaH(v = 1) = 2.7+/-0.2, may be characterized by low Boltzmann rotational temperature. According to Arrhenius theory, the temperature dependence measurement yields a potential barrier of 3820+/-480 cm(-1) for the current reaction. As a result of the potential energy surfaces (PES) calculations, the reaction pathway favors a Ca insertion into the H2 bond along a (near) C2v geometric approach. As the H2 bond is elongated, the configurational mixing between the orbital components of the 4p and nearby low-lying 3d state with the same symmetry makes significant the nonadiabatic transition between the 5A' and 2A' surface in the repulsive limbs. Therefore, the collision species are anticipated to track along the 5A' surface, then undergo nonadiabatic transition to the inner limb of the 2A' surface, and finally cross to the reactive 1A' surface. The observed energy barrier probably accounts for the energy requirement to surmount the repulsive hill in the entrance. The findings of the nascent CaH product distributions may be reasonably interpreted from the nature of the intermediate structure and lifetime after the 2A'-1A' surface transition. The distinct product distributions between the Ca(4 1P1) and Mg(3 1P1) reactions with H2 may also be realized with the aid of the PES calculations.     

Inelastic scattering matrix elements for the nonadiabatic collision B(2P1/2)+H2(1Sigmag+,j)<-->B(2P3/2)+H2(1Sigmag+,j')

Inelastic scattering matrix elements for the nonadiabatic collision B(2P1/2)+H2(1Sigmag+,j)<-->B(2P3/2)+H2(1Sigmag+,j') are calculated using the time dependent channel packet method (CPM). The calculation employs 1 2A', 2 2A', and 1 2A" adiabatic electronic potential energy surfaces determined by numerical computation at the multireference configuration-interaction level [M. H. Alexander, J. Chem. Phys. 99, 6041 (1993)]. The 1 2A' and 2 2A', adiabatic electronic potential energy surfaces are transformed to yield diabatic electronic potential energy surfaces that, when combined with the total B+H2 rotational kinetic energy, yield a set of effective potential energy surfaces [M. H. Alexander et al., J. Chem. Phys. 103, 7956 (1995)]. Within the framework of the CPM, the number of effective potential energy surfaces used for the scattering matrix calculation is then determined by the size of the angular momentum basis used as a representation. Twenty basis vectors are employed for these calculations, and the corresponding effective potential energy surfaces are identified in the asymptotic limit by the H2 rotor quantum numbers j=0, 2, 4, 6 and B electronic states 2Pja, ja=1/2, 3/2. Scattering matrix elements are obtained from the Fourier transform of the correlation function between channel packets evolving in time on these effective potential energy surfaces. For these calculations the H2 bond length is constrained to a constant value of req=1.402 a.u. and state to state scattering matrix elements corresponding to a total angular momentum of J=1/2 are discussed for j=0<-->j'=0,2,4 and 2P1/2<-->2P1/2, 2P3/2 over a range of total energy between 0.0 and 0.01 a.u.     

Theoretical study of interaction of urate with li(+), na(+), k(+), be(2+), mg(2+), and ca(2+) metal cations

The geometries and energetics of complexes of Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Be(2+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+)metal cations with different possible uric acid anions (urate) were studied. The complexes were optimized at the B3LYP level and the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. Complexes of urate with Mg(2+), and Ca(2+)metal cations were also optimized at the MP2/6-31+G(d) level. Single point energy calculations were performed at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level. The interactions of the metal cations at different nucleophilic sites of various possible urate were considered. It was revealed that metal cations would interact with urate in a bi-coordinate manner. In the gas phase, the most preferred position for the interaction of Li(+), Na(+), and K(+) cations is between the N(3) and O(2) sites, while all divalent cations Be(2+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+) prefer binding between the N(7) and O(6) sites of the corresponding urate. The influence of aqueous solvent on the relative stability of different complexes has been examined using the Tomasi's polarized continuum model. The basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrected interaction energy was also computed for complexes. The AIM theory has been applied to analyze the properties of the bond critical points (electron densities and their Laplacians) involved in the coordination between urate and the metal cations. It was revealed that aqueous solvation would have significant effect on the relative stability of complexes obtained by the interaction of urate with Mg(2+) and Ca(2+)cations. Consequently, several complexes were found to exist in the water solution. The effect of metal cations on different NH and CO stretching vibrational modes of uric acid has also been discussed.     

Heavy atom tunneling in chemical reactions: study of H + LiF collisions

The H+LiF(X (1)sigma(+),upsilon=0-2,j=0)-->HF(X (1)sigma(+),upsilon',j')+Li(2S) bimolecular process is investigated by means of quantum scattering calculations on the chemically accurate X 2A' LiHF potential energy surface of Aguado et al. [A. Aguado, M. Paniagua, C. Sanz, and J. Roncero, J. Chem. Phys. 119, 10088 (2003)]. Calculations have been performed for zero total angular momentum for translational energies from 10(-7) to 10(-1) eV. Initial-state selected reaction probabilities and cross sections are characterized by resonances originating from the decay of metastable states of the H...F-Li and Li...F-H van der Waals complexes. Extensive assignment of the resonances has been carried out by performing quasibound states calculations in the entrance and exit channel wells. Chemical reactivity is found to be significantly enhanced by vibrational excitation at low temperatures, although reactivity appears much less favorable than nonreactive processes due to the inefficient tunneling of the relatively heavy fluorine atom strongly bound in van der Waals complexes.     

Unimolecular reactions of dihydrated alkaline earth metal dications M2+(H2O)2, M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba: salt-bridge mechanism in the proton-transfer reaction M2+(H2O)2 --> MOH+ + H3O

The unimolecular reactivity of M(2+)(H(2)O)(2), M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, is investigated by density functional theory. Dissociation of the complex occurs either by proton transfer to form singly charged metal hydroxide, MOH(+), and protonated water, H(3)O(+), or by loss of water to form M(2+)(H(2)O) and H(2)O. Charge transfer from water to the metal forming H(2)O(+) and M(+)(H(2)O) is not favorable for any of the metal complexes. The relative energetics of these processes are dominated by the metal dication size. Formation of MOH(+) proceeds first by one water ligand moving to the second solvation shell followed by proton transfer to this second-shell water molecule and subsequent Coulomb explosion. These hydroxide formation reactions are exothermic with activation energies that are comparable to the water binding energy for the larger metals. This results in a competition between proton transfer and loss of a water molecule. The arrangement with one water ligand in the second solvation shell is a local minimum on the potential energy surface for all metals except Be. The two transition states separating this intermediate from the reactant and the products are identified. The second transition state determines the height of the activation barrier and corresponds to a M(2+)-OH(-)-H(3)O(+) "salt-bridge" structure. The computed B3LYP energy of this structure can be quantitatively reproduced by a simple ionic model in which Lewis charges are localized on individual atoms. This salt-bridge arrangement lowers the activation energy of the proton-transfer reaction by providing a loophole on the potential energy surface for the escape of H(3)O(+). Similar salt-bridge mechanisms may be involved in a number of proton-transfer reactions in small solvated metal ion complexes, as well as in other ionic reactions.     

Coupled-states statistical investigation of vibrational and rotational relaxation of OH(2pi) by collisions with atomic hydrogen

We report state-to-state cross sections and thermal rate constants for vibrational and rotational relaxation of OH(2pi) by collision with H atoms. The cross sections are calculated by the coupled-states (CS) statistical method including the full open-shell character of the OH + H system. Four potential energy surfaces (PESs) ((1,3)A' and (1,3)A') describe the interaction of OH(X2pi) with H atoms. Of these, three are repulsive, and one (1A') correlates with the deep H2O well. Consequently, rotationally and ro-vibrationally inelastic scattering of OH in collisions with H can occur by scattering on the repulsive PESs, in a manner similar to the inelastic scattering of OH by noble gas atoms, or by collisions which enter the H2O well and then reemerge. At 300 K, we predict large (approximately 1 x 10(-10) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1)) vibrational relaxation rates out of both v = 2 and v = 1, comparable to earlier experimental observations. This anomalously fast relaxation results from capture into the H2O complex. There exists a significant propensity toward formation of OH in the pi(A') lambda-doublet level. We also report state-resolved cross sections and rate constants for rotational excitation within the OH v = 0 manifold. Collisional excitation from the F1 to the F2 spin-orbit manifold leads to an inverted lambda-doublet population.