Computational study on the kinetics and mechanism for the unimolecular decomposition of C6H5NO2 and the related C6H5 + NO2 and C6H5O + NO reactions

The kinetics and mechanisms for the unimolecular dissociation of nitrobenzene and related association reactions C(6)H(5) + NO(2) and C(6)H(5)O + NO have been studied computationally at the G2M(RCC, MP2) level of theory in conjunction with rate constant prediction with multichannel RRKM calculations. Formation of C(6)H(5) + NO(2) was found to be dominant above 850 K with its branching ratio > 0.78, whereas the formation of C(6)H(5)O + NO via the C(6)H(5)ONO intermediate was found to be competitive at lower temperatures, with its branching ratio increasing from 0.22 at 850 K to 0.97 at 500 K. The third energetically accessible channel producing C(6)H(4) + HONO was found to be uncompetitive throughout the temperature range investigated, 500-2000 K. The predicted rate constants for C(6)H(5)NO(2) --> C(6)H(5) + NO(2) and C(6)H(5)O + NO --> C(6)H(5)ONO under varying experimental conditions were found to be in good agreement with all existing experimental data. For C(6)H(5) + NO(2), the combination processes producing C(6)H(5)ONO and C(6)H(5)NO(2) are dominant at low temperature and high pressure, while the disproportionation process giving C(6)H(5)O + NO via C(6)H(5)ONO becomes competitive at low pressure and dominant at temperatures above 1000 K.     

Association rate constants for reactions between resonance-stabilized radicals: C3H3 + C3H3, C3H3 + C3H5, and C3H5 + C3H5

Reactions between resonance-stabilized radicals play an important role in combustion chemistry. The theoretical prediction of rate coefficients and product distributions for such reactions is complicated by the fact that the initial complex-formation steps and some dissociation steps are barrierless. In this paper direct variable reaction coordinate transition state theory (VRC-TST) is used to predict accurately the association rate constants for the self and cross reactions of propargyl and allyl radicals. For each reaction, a set of multifaceted dividing surfaces is used to account for the multiple possible addition channels. Because of their resonant nature the geometric relaxation of the radicals is important. Here, the effect of this relaxation is explicitly calculated with the UB3LYP/cc-pvdz method for each mutual orientation encountered in the configurational integrals over the transition state dividing surfaces. The final energies are obtained from CASPT2/cc-pvdz calculations with all pi-orbitals in the active space. Evaluations along the minimum energy path suggest that basis set corrections are negligible. The VRC-TST approach was also used to calculate the association rate constant and the corresponding number of states for the C(6)H(5) + H --> C(6)H(6) exit channel of the C(3)H(3) + C(3)H(3) reaction, which is also barrierless. For this reaction, the interaction energies were evaluated with the CASPT2(2e,2o)/cc-pvdz method and a 1-D correction is included on the basis of CAS+1+2+QC/aug-cc-pvtz calculations for the CH(3) + H reference system. For the C(3)H(3) + C(3)H(3) reaction, the VRC-TST results for the energy and angular momentum resolved numbers of states in the entrance channels and in the C(6)H(5) + H exit channel are incorporated in a master equation simulation to determine the temperature and pressure dependence of the phenomenological rate coefficients. The rate constants for the C(3)H(3) + C(3)H(3) and C(3)H(5) + C(3)H(5) self-reactions compare favorably with the available experimental data. To our knowledge there are no experimental rate data for the C(3)H(3) + C(3)H(5) reaction.     

Charge inversion as a structural probe for C6H 5 + and C6H 6 +· cations

Charge reversal (⁺CR⁻) of cations to anions can be used to structurally differentiate isomeric C₆H₅⁺ and C₆H₆^+· hydrocarbon ions by means of tandem mass spectrometry. In view of the manifold of possible isomers, only a few prototype precursors are examined. Thus, charge inversion demonstrates that electron ionization of 2,4-hexadiyne yields an intact molecular ion, whereas the charge inversion spectra of C₆H₆^+· obtained from benzene, 1,5-hexadiyne, and fulvene are identical within experimental error. Similarly, the ⁺CR⁻ spectrum of the C₆H₅⁺ cation generated by dissociative ionization of 2,4-hexadiyne is significantly different from the ⁺CR⁻ spectrum of C₆H₅⁺ obtained from iodobenzene, suggesting the formation of a 2,4-hexadiynyl cation from the former precursor. Although charge inversion of cations to anions has a low efficiency and requires large precursor ion fluxes, the particular value of this method is that the spectra may not just differ in fragment ion intensities, but these differences can directly be related to the underlying ion structures.     

Mass spectrometry of aralkyl compounds with a functional group—VII. On the structure of the ions C8H9+ from C6H5C2H4X- and C9H11+ from C6H5C3H6X-compounds

The C₈H₉⁺-ion, formed from the molecular ions of 2-phenyl-1-bromoethane, 1-phenyl-1-bromoethane and of 1-phenyl-1-nitroethane by loss of the bromine atom and of the nitro group, splits off a molecule of acetylene after an almost complete randomization of hydrogens, as proved by deuteration. An eight-membered ring structure for the C₈H₉⁺-ion is proposed to explain these results. By loss of the nitro group from the molecular ions of 1-phenyl-1-nitropropane and of 1-phenyl-2-nitropropane the well-known phenylated cyclopropane ion3 (C₉H₁₁)⁺ is generated. Mass spectra of analogues, specifically deuterated in the side-chain, show that in this ion a randomization of hydrogen atoms in the cyclopropane ring as well as a hydride transfer from the cyclopropane ring to the phenyl cation occur.     

Ab initio kinetics for the unimolecular reaction C6H5OH --> CO + C5H6

The unimolecular decomposition of C(6)H(5)OH on its singlet-state potential energy surface has been studied at the G2M//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The result shows that the most favorable reaction channel involves the isomerization and decomposition of phenol via 2,4-cyclohexadienone and other low-lying isomers prior to the fragmentation process, producing cyclo-C(5)H(6) + CO as major products, supporting the earlier assumption of the important role of the 2,4-cyclohexadienone intermediate. The rate constant predicted by the microcanonical RRKM theory in the temperature range 800-2000 K at 1 Torr--100 atm of Ar pressure for CO production agrees very well with available experimental data in the temperature range studied. The rate constants for the production of CO and the H atom by O-H dissociation at atmospheric Ar pressure can be represented by k(CO) = 8.62 x 10(15) T(-0.61) exp(-37,300/T) s(-1) and k(H) = 1.01 x 10(71) T(-15.92) exp(-62,800/T) s(-1). The latter process is strongly P-dependent above 1000 K; its high- and low-pressure limits are given.     

Arrhenius parameters for the reactions CH3. + C4H10 → CH4 + C4H9. and C2H5. + C4H10 → C2H6 + C4H9.

Study of n-butane pyrolysis at high temperature in a flow system allows measurement of the sum of the rate constants of the initiation reactions and of the Arrhenius parameters of the reactions Established data for k₁/k₂ allow estimation of k₁ for 951°K and this, with recent thermochemical data, yields the result log k_?1 (l.mole s^?1) = 8.5, in remarkable agreement with a recent measurement [20] but over si×ty times smaller than conventional assumption. The product k₃k₄ (l.²mole^?2s^?2) is found to be associated with the Arrhenius parameters log (A₃A₄) = 21.90 ± 0.6 and (E₃ + E₄) = 38.3 ± 2.7 kcal/mole. These values are much higher than would be e×pected on the basis of low temperature estimates. Independent evaluation gives log A₄ = 10.5 ± 0.4 (l.mole^?1s^?1) and E₄ = 20.1 ± 1.7 kcal/mole, hence log A₃ = 11.4 ± 0.8 (l.mole^?1s^?1) and E₃ = 18.2 ± 3.2 kcal/mole. These values are shown to be entirely consistent with a wide range of results from pyrolytic studies, and it is argued that they further confirm the view that Arrhenius plots for alkyl radical–alkane metathetical reactions are strongly curved, in part due to tunneling and, appreciably, to other as yet unidentified effects. Since there is published evidence that metathetical reactions involving hydrogen atoms show even greater curvature, it is suggested that this may be a characteristic of many metathetical reactions.     

A tandem mass spectrometry study of the gas phase RSC6H5Cr+L (R = H,C6H5; L = arene) and C6H5SSC6H5Cr+ ions

Ion-molecule reactions of chromium containing ions with arylsulfides have been studied in the gas phase and their products have been characterized by tandem mass spectrometry. C₆H₅SH and (C₆H₅)₂S react as typical aromatic compounds and give rise to Cr⁺C₆H₅SR] and RC₆H₅Cr⁺QH₅SR′ [R = H, CH₃, CH(CH₃)₂; R′ = H, C₆H₅] ions. Metastable ion mass spectra of the latter species show that the metal is more strongly bound to diphenylsulfide than to alkylbenzenes. C₆H₅SSC₆H₅ reacts with chromium-containing ions to form only Cr⁺(C₆H₅SSC₆H₅). The decomposition characteristics of this ion and, in particular, the presence of a recovery signal in the neutralization-reionization mass spectrum are in keeping with the formation of a 1,2-dithia[2]cyclophane complex ion, which rearranges into a structurel(s) that contains Cr?S bond(s). No evidence was found for metal atom insertion into S?S, C?S, or S?H bonds.     

Computational study on the mechanism and rate constant for the C6H5 + C6H5NO reaction

The reaction mechanism of C6H5 + C6H5NO involving four product channels on the doublet-state potential energy surface has been studied at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d, p) level of theory. The first reaction channel occurs by barrierless association forming (C6H5)2NO (biphenyl nitroxide), which can undergo isomerization and decomposition. The second channel takes place by substitution reaction producing C12H10 (biphenyl) and NO. The third and fourth channels involve direct hydrogen abstraction reactions producing C6H4NO + C6H6 and C6H5NOH + C6H4, respectively. Bimolecular rate constants of the above four product channels have been calculated in the temperature range 300-2000 K by the microcanonical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory and/or variational transition-state theory. The result shows the dominant reactions are channel 1 at lower temperatures (T < 800 K) and channel 3 at higher temperatures (T > 800 K). The total rate constant at 7 Torr He is predicted to be k(t) = 3.94 x 10(21) T(-3.09) exp(-699/T) for 300-500 K, 2.09 x 10(20) T(-3.56) exp(2315/T) for 500-1000 K, and 1.51 x 10(2) T(3.30) exp(-3043/T) for 1000-2000 K (in units of cm3 mol(-1) s(-1)), agreeing reasonably with the experimental data within their reported errors. The heats of formation of key products including biphenyl nitroxide, hydroxyl phenyl amino radical, and N-hydroxyl carbazole have been estimated.     

A kinetics study on reactions of C6H5O with C6H5O and O3 at 298 k

Kinetics for reactions of phenoxy radical, C₆H₅O, with itself and with O₃ were examined at 298 K and low pressure (1 Torr) using discharge flow coupled with mass spectrometry (DF/MS). The rate constant for the phenoxy radical self‐reaction was determined to be k₁ = (1.49 ± 0.53) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ defined by d[C₆H₅O]/dt=−2 k₁[C₆H₅O]². The rate constant for the C₆H₅O reaction with O₃ was measured to be k₂ = (2.86 ± 0.35) × 10⁻¹³ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, which may be a lower limit value. Because of much higher atmospheric abundance of ozone than that of both NO and phenoxy, the reaction of C₆H₅O with ozone may represent the principal fate of the phenoxy radical in the atmosphere. Products from reaction of C₆H₅O + C₆H₅O, NO, and NO₂ were also investigated, and (C₆H₅O)₂ (m/e = 186), C₆H₅O(NO) (m/e = 123), and C₆H₅O(NO₂) (m/e = 139) adducts were observed as products for the reactions of C₆H₅O with itself, NO, and NO₂, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 65–72, 1999     

Transition-metal mediated heteroatom removal by reactions of FeL+ [L=O,C4H6, c-C5H6, c-C5H5, C6H6, C5H4(=CH2)] with furan,thiophene, and pyrrole in the gas phase

Reactions of Fe⁺ and FeL⁺ [L=O, C₄H₆, c-C₅H₆, C₅H₅, C₆H₆, C₅H₄(=CH₂)] with thiophene, furan, and pyrrole in the gas phase by using Fourier transform mass spectrometry are described. Fe⁺, Fe(C₅H₅)⁺, and FeC₆H ₆ ⁺ yield exclusive rapid adduct formation with thiophene, furan, and pyrrole. In addition, the iron-diene complexes [FeC₄H ₆ ⁺ and Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺], as well as FeC₅H₄(=CH₂)⁺ and FeO⁺, are quite reactive. The most intriguing reaction is the predominant direct extrusion of CO from furan by FeC₄H₆ ⁺, Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺, and FeC₅H₄(=CH₂)⁺. In addition, FeC₄H ₆ ⁺ and Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺ cause minor amounts of HCN extrusion from pyrrole. Mechanisms are presented for these CO and HCN extrusion reactions. The absence of CS elimination from thiophene may be due to the higher energy requirements than those for CO extrusion from furan or HCN extrusion from pyrrole. The dominant reaction channel for reaction of Fe(c-C₅H₆)⁺ with pyrrole and thiophene is hydrogen-atom displacement, which implies D^O(Fa(N₅H₅)⁺-C₄H₄X)>D^O(Fe(C₅H₅)⁺-H)=46±5 kcal mol^?1. D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₄S) and D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₅N)=D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₆)=48±5 kcal mol^?1. Finally, 55±5 kcal mol^?1=D^O(Fe⁺-C₆H₆)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₄O)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₂H₄)=39.9±1.4 kcal mol^?1. FeO⁺ reacts rapidly with thiophene, furan, and pyrrole to yield initial loss of CO followed by additional neutral losses. D^O(Fe⁺-CS)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₄S)≈48±5 kcal mol^?1 and D^O(Fe⁺-C₄H₅N)≈48±5 kcal mol^?1>D^O(Fe⁺-HCN)>D^O(Fe⁺-C₂H₄)=39.9±1.4 kcal mil^?1.     

The effect of the torsional and stretching vibrations of C2H6 on the H + C2H6 --> H2 + C2H5 reaction

We present a three-dimensional quantum scattering model to treat reactions of the type H + C2H6 --> H2 + C2H5. The model allows the torsional and the stretching degrees of freedom to be treated explicitly. Zero-point energies of the remaining modes are taken into account in electronic structure calculations. An analytical potential-energy surface was developed from a minimal number of ab initio geometry evaluations using the CCSD(T,full)/cc-pVTZ//MP2(full)/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The reaction is endothermic by 1.5 kcal mol(-1) and exhibits a vibrationally adiabatic barrier of 12.0 kcal mol(-1). The results show that the torsional mode influences reactivity when coupled with the vibrational C-H stretching mode. We also found that ethyl radical products are formed internally excited in the torsional mode.     

Studies of the kinetics and thermochemistry of the forward and reverse reaction Cl + C6H6 = HCl + C6H5

The laser flash photolysis resonance fluorescence technique was used to monitor atomic Cl kinetics. Loss of Cl following photolysis of CCl4 and NaCl was used to determine k(Cl + C6H6) = 6.4 x 10(-12) exp(-18.1 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over 578-922 K and k(Cl + C6D6) = 6.2 x 10(-12) exp(-22.8 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over 635-922 K. Inclusion of literature data at room temperature leads to a recommendation of k(Cl + C6H6) = 6.1 x 10(-11) exp(-31.6 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) for 296-922 K. Monitoring growth of Cl during the reaction of phenyl with HCl led to k(C6H5 + HCl) = 1.14 x 10(-12) exp(+5.2 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over 294-748 K, k(C6H5 + DCl) = 7.7 x 10(-13) exp(+4.9 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over 292-546 K, an approximate k(C6H5 + C6H5I) = 2 x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over 300-750 K, and an upper limit k(Cl + C6H5I) < or = 5.3 x 10(-12) exp(+2.8 kJ mol(-1)/RT) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over 300-750 K. Confidence limits are discussed in the text. Third-law analysis of the equilibrium constant yields the bond dissociation enthalpy D(298)(C6H5-H) = 472.1 +/- 2.5 kJ mol(-1) and thus the enthalpy of formation Delta(f)H(298)(C6H5) = 337.0 +/- 2.5 kJ mol(-1).     

Chemically activated reactions on the C7H5 energy surface: propargyl + diacetylene, i-C5H3 + acetylene, and n-C5H3 + acetylene

This study uses computational chemistry and statistical reaction rate theory to investigate the chemically activated reaction of diacetylene (butadiyne, C(4)H(2)) with the propargyl radical (C˙H(2)CCH) and the reaction of acetylene (C(2)H(2)) with the i-C(5)H(3) (CH(2)CCCC˙H) and n-C(5)H(3) (CHCC˙HCCH) radicals. A detailed G3SX-level C(7)H(5) energy surface demonstrates that the C(3)H(3) + C(4)H(2) and C(5)H(3) + C(2)H(2) addition reactions proceed with moderate barriers, on the order of 10 to 15 kcal mol(-1), and form activated open-chain C(7)H(5) species that can isomerize to the fulvenallenyl radical with the highest barrier still significantly below the entrance channel energy. Higher-energy pathways are available leading to other C(7)H(5) isomers and to a number of C(7)H(4) species + H. Rate constants in the large multiple-well (15) multiple-channel (30) chemically activated system are obtained from a stochastic solution of the one-dimensional master equation, with RRKM theory for microcanonical rate constants. The dominant products of the C(4)H(2) + C(3)H(3) reaction at combustion-relevant temperatures and pressures are i-C(5)H(3) + C(2)H(2) and CH(2)CCHCCCCH + H, along with several quenched C(7)H(5) intermediate species below 1500 K. The major products in the n-C(5)H(3) + C(2)H(2) reaction are i-C(5)H(3) + C(2)H(2) and a number of C(7)H(4) species + H, with C(7)H(5) radical stabilization at lower temperatures. The i-C(5)H(3) + C(2)H(2) reaction predominantly leads to C(7)H(4) + H and to stabilized C(7)H(5) products. The title reactions may play an important role in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) formation in combustion systems. The C(7)H(5) potential energy surface developed here also provides insight into several other important reacting gas-phase systems relevant to combustion and astrochemistry, including C(2)H + the C(3)H(4) isomers propyne and allene, benzyne + CH, benzene + C((3)P), and C(7)H(5) radical decomposition, for which some preliminary analysis is presented.     

Gas phase reactions of the ion C5H5Fe+: A kinetic study

The kinetics of gas phase reactions of the ion C₅H₅Fe⁺ with oxygen (Me₂CO, Me₂O, MeOH, iso-propanol, H₂O) and nitrogen (NH₃, NH₂Me, NHMe₂, NMe₃) donor ligands have been studied by ion trap mass spectrometry. While in the literature reactions of the ion Fe⁺, with the same ligands, the principal reaction path involves fragmentation in almost all the reactions of the ion C₅H₅Fe⁺, formation of adduct ions is the major reaction path. The reactivity of these two ions is briefly compared in the ion trap conditions. Kinetic data for the ion C₅H₅Fe⁺ indicate that the reactions show a large range of efficiency and a linear correlation is found between the log of the reaction rate constants and the ionization energy of ligands with the same donor atom.     

Ab initio study of C + H3+ reactions

The reaction C + H3+ --> CH(+) + H2 is frequently used in models of dense interstellar cloud chemistry with the assumption that it is fast, i.e. there are no potential energy barriers inhibiting it. Ab initio molecular orbital study of the triplet CH3+ potential energy surface (triplet because the reactant carbon atom is a ground state triplet) supports this hypothesis. The reaction product is 3 pi CH+; the reaction is to exothermic even though the product is not in its electronic ground state. No path has been found on the potential energy surface for C + H3+ --> CH2(+) + H reaction.     

Rate constants for tsomerization of C6H5C(SC6H5)2 ĆH2 radicals to C6H5Ć(SC6H5)CH2SC6H5 radicals based on EPR data

Conclusions The parameters of the Arrhenius equation for the isomerization of PhC(SPh)₂H₂ radicals to Ph(SPh)CH₂. SPh radicals are in agreement with an intramolecular character of the rearrangement, with a 1,2-migration of the thiyl group. These parameters were calculated on the basis of the data that were obtained by the EPR method in the range 10–70°.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2596–2597, November, 1982.     

Kinetics of Polymerization of 1,3-Dioxolan Initiated by C6H5COSbF,and (C6H5)3C+SbF8 Salts

Polymerizations of 1,3-dioxolan initiated by oxycarbenium salt CeHsCO⁺SbFe^? and triphenylmethylium salt (C6H₅)₃C⁺SbF₆ ^? proceed with induction periods. C₆H₅CO⁺SbF6 initiates polymerization by a direct addition, while initiation with (C₆H₅CO⁺SbFe^?proceeds through the intermediately formed 1,3-dioxolan-2-ylium salt. Kinetic analysis of polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan, initiated by oxycarbenium salt or triphenylmethylium salt revealed that, in spite of different chemisty of initiation, both processes proceed with a slow initiation on monomer and fast initiation on polymer. The pertinent kinetic equations were derived and it was found, that the rate constant of propagation (k) does not depend on the structure of initiator used, being equal to 25 ± 5 liter/mole-sec (0°C, CH₂Cl₂ or CH₃NO₂).