Experimental study and detailed modeling of toluene degradation in a low-pressure stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/N2 flame

Temperature and mole fraction profiles have been measured in laminar stoichiometric premixed CH4/O2/N2 and CH4/1.5%C6H5CH3/O2/N2 flames at low pressure (0.0519 bar) by using thermocouple, molecular beam/mass spectrometry (MB/MS), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques. The present study completes our previous work performed on the thermal degradation of benzene in CH4/O2/N2 operating at similar conditions. Mole fraction profiles of reactants, final products, and reactive and stable intermediate species have been analyzed. The main intermediate aromatic species analyzed in the methane-toluene flame were benzene, phenol, ethylbenzene, benzylalcohol, styrene, and benzaldehyde. These new experimental results have been modeled with our previous model including submechanisms for aromatics (benzene up to p-xylene) and aliphatic (C1 up to C7) oxidation. Good agreement has been observed for the main species analyzed. The main reaction paths governing the degradation of toluene in the methane flame were identified, and it occurs mainly via the formation of benzene (C6H5CH3 + H = C6H6 + CH3) and benzyl radical (C6H5CH3 + H = C6H5CH2 + H2). Due to the abundance of methyl radicals, it was observed that recombination of benzyl and methyl is responsible for main monosubstitute aromatic species analyzed in the methane-toluene flame. The oxidation of these substitute species led to cyclopentadienyl radical as observed in a methane-benzene flame.     

Experimental study of laminar lean premixed methylmethacrylate/oxygen/argon flame at low pressure

A fuel-lean laminar premixed methylmethacrylate/oxygen/argon flame at 2.67 kPa with an equivalence ratio (phi) of 0.75 has been investigated with the tunable synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization and molecular beam sampling mass spectrometry techniques. Isomers of most observed species in the flame have been identified by measurements of photoionization mass spectra and the near-threshold photoionization efficiency spectra. Mole fraction profiles for about 42 flame species are displayed. Free radicals such as CH3, C2H3, C2H5, C3H3, C3H5, C2H3O, C4H7, C3H5O, C3H7O, C4H3O, C4H9O, C4H5O2, C4H7O2, and C5H7O2, which should be of importance in understanding the formation mechanism of some toxic substances, were detected in the flame. Moreover, no isomers of any PAHs have been detected in the lean flame. Combined with the mole fraction profiles, the formation mechanisms of the free radicals, oxygenated compounds, and other molecular intermediates are proposed and will provide important information on modeling the combustion kinetics of methylmethacrylate (MMA).     

Thermal dissociation of SO3 at 1000-1400 K

The thermal dissociation of SO3 has been studied for the first time in the 1000-1400 K range. The experiments were conducted in a laminar flow reactor at atmospheric pressure, with nitrogen as the bath gas. On the basis of the flow reactor data, a rate constant for SO3 + N2 --> SO2 + O + N2 (R1b) of 5.7 x 10(17) exp(-40000/T) cm3/(mol s) is derived for the temperature range 1273-1348 K. The estimated uncertainty is a factor of 2. The rate constant corresponds to a value of the reverse reaction of k1 approximately 1.8 x 10(15) cm6 mol(-2) s(-1). The reaction is in the fall-off region under the investigated conditions. The temperature and pressure dependence of SO2 + O (+N2) was estimated from the extrapolation of low temperature results for the reaction, together with an estimated broadening parameter and the high-pressure limit determined recently by Naidoo, Goumri, and Marshall (Proc. Combust. Inst. 2005, 30, 1219-1225). The theoretical rate constant is in good agreement with the experimental results. The improved accuracy in k(1) allows a reassessment of the rate constant for SO3 + O --> SO2 + O2 (R2) based on the data of Smith, Tseregounis, and Wang (Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 1982, 14, 679-697), who conducted experiments on a low-pressure CO/O2/Ar flame doped with SO2. At the location in the flame where the net SO3 formation rate is zero, k2 = k1[SO2][M]/[SO3]. A value of 6.9 x 10(10) cm3 mol(-1) s(-1) is obtained for k2 at 1269 K with an uncertainty a factor of 3. A recommended rate constant k2 = 7.8 x 10(11) exp(-3065/T) cm3 mol(-1) s(-1) is consistent with other flame results as well as the present flow reactor data.     

Energetics of C-F, C-Cl, C-Br, and C-I bonds in 2-haloethanols. enthalpies of formation of XCH(2)CH(2)OH (X = F, Cl, Br, I) compounds and of the 2-hydroxyethyl radical

The energetics of the C-F, C-Cl, C-Br, and C-I bonds in 2-haloethanols was investigated by using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods. The standard molar enthalpies of formation of 2-chloro-, 2-bromo-, and 2-iodoethanol, at 298.15 K, were determined as Delta(f)H(degree)m(CH2CH2OH, l) = -315.5 +/- 0.7 kJ.mol-1, Delta(f)H(degree)mBrCH2CH2OH, l) = -275.8 +/- 0.6 kJ.mol-1, Delta(f)H(degree)m(ICH2CH2OH, l) = -207.3 +/- 0.7 kJ.mol-1, by rotating-bomb combustion calorimetry. The corresponding standard molar enthalpies of vaporization, Delta(vap)H(degree)m(ClCH2CH2OH) = 48.32 +/- 0.37 kJ.mol-1, Delta(vap)H(degree)m(BrCH2CH2OH) = 54.08 +/- 0.40 kJ.mol-1, and Delta(vap)H(degree)m(ICH2CH2OH) = 57.03 +/- 0.20 kJ.mol-1 were also obtained by Calvet-drop microcalorimetry. The condensed phase and vaporization enthalpy data lead to Delta(f)H(degree)m(ClCH2CH2OH, g) = -267.2 +/- 0.8 kJ.mol-1, Delta(f)H(degree)m(BrCH2CH2OH, g) = -221.7 +/- 0.7 kJ.mol-1, and Delta(f)H(degree)m(ICH2CH2OH, g) = -150.3 +/- 0.7 kJ.mol-1. These values, together with the enthalpy of selected isodesmic and isogyric gas-phase reactions predicted by density functional theory (B3LYP/cc-pVTZ) and CBS-QB3 calculations were used to derive the enthalpies of formation of gaseous 2-fluoroethanol, Delta(f)H(degree)m(FCH2CH2OH, g) = -423.6 +/- 5.0 kJ.mol-1, and of the 2-hydroxyethyl radical, Delta(f)H(degree)m(CH2CH2OH, g) = -28.7 +/- 8.0 kJ.mol-1. The obtained thermochemical data led to the following carbon-halogen bond dissociation enthalpies: DHo(X-CH2CH2OH) = 474.4 +/- 9.4 kJ.mol-1 (X = F), 359.9 +/- 8.0 kJ.mol-1 (X = Cl), 305.0 +/- 8.0 kJ.mol-1 (X = Br), 228.7 +/- 8.1 kJ.mol-1 (X = I). These values were compared with the corresponding C-X bond dissociation enthalpies in XCH2COOH, XCH3, XC2H5, XCH=CH2, and XC6H5. In view of this comparison the computational methods mentioned above were also used to obtain Delta(f)H(degree)m-594.0 +/- 5.0 kJ.mol-1 from which DHo(F-CH2COOH) = 435.4 +/- 5.4 kJ.mol-1. The order DHo(C-F) > DHo(C-Cl) > DHo(C-Br) > DHo(C-I) is observed for the haloalcohols and all other RX compounds. It is finally concluded that the major qualitative trends exhibited by the C-X bond dissociation enthalpies for the series of compounds studied in this work can be predicted by Pauling's electrostatic-covalent model.     

NOFBX新型绿色推进剂燃烧化学反应动力学模型

本文以具有绿色无毒、高性能、低成本等诸多优势的N_2O-C_2烃类燃料单元复合推进剂(即NOFBX)为对象,首先发展了包含52组分、325反应的燃烧化学反应机理模型。该机理不仅能够准确计算N_2O热解过程中重要组分的分布,而且能够在较宽的温度、压力、化学计量比范围内准确预测N_2O-C_2烃类燃料体系的着火延迟时间和层流火焰传播速度。鉴于本文提出的N_2O-C_2烃类燃料反应机理具有机理规模小、实验验证充分的特点,有望在NOFBX发动机的多维燃烧数值模拟中得到广泛应用。     

Investigation on 1-Heptene/Air Laminar Flame Propagation under Elevated Pressures

The laminar flame propagation of 1-heptene/air mixtures covering equivalence ratios from 0.7 to 1.5 is investigated in a constant-volume cylindrical combustion vessel at 373 K and elevated pressures (1, 2, 5, and 10 atm). Laminar flame speed and Markstein length are derived from the recorded schlieren images. A kinetic model of 1-heptene combustion is developed based on our previous kinetic model of 1-hexene. The model is validated against the laminar flame speed data measured in this work and the ignition delay time data in literature. Modeling analyses, such as sensitivity analysis and rate of production analysis, are performed to help understand the high temperature chemistry of 1-heptene under various pressures and its influence on the laminar flame propagation. Furthermore, the laminar flame propagation of 1-heptene/air mixtures is compared with that of n-heptane/air mixtures reported in our previous work. The laminar flame speed values of 1-heptene/air mixtures are observed to be faster than those of n-heptane/air mixtures under most conditions due to the enhanced exothermicity and reactivity.     

一氧化碳添加对甲烷/空气贫燃预混火焰的影响(英文)

通过对贫燃条件下(燃料与空气化学计量比φ=0.60-0.80)的甲烷/一氧化碳/空气火焰结构进行数值模拟,研究燃料中一氧化碳添加量对层流燃烧速度、氮氧化合物的排放以及熄火拉伸率的影响.随着燃料中一氧化碳添加量的不断增加,层流燃烧速度有所下降,这与燃料中加入氢气产生的现象有所不同.为了解释这一现象,本文深入探讨了层流燃烧速度与H+OH浓度峰值之间的关系,结果表明,一氧化碳的增加导致H+OH浓度峰值呈线性下降,与层流燃烧速度下降趋势完全一致.随着一氧化碳的增加,氮氧化合物排放量有所下降.探讨了NO的生成机理,且由敏感性分析得到生成NO的重要反应,分析当一氧化碳量增大时,NO的浓度以及重要反应的NO生成率均下降.此外,利用数值模拟求解径向拉伸率,深入分析燃料中添加一氧化碳时拉伸率对贫燃火焰稳定性的影响.由计算结果得到熄火拉伸率,发现燃料中一氧化碳的添加在一定程度上能够增强火焰的稳定性.     

Reductive elimination/oxidative addition of carbon-hydrogen bonds at Pt(IV)/Pt(II) centers: mechanistic studies of the solution thermolyses of Tp(Me2)Pt(CH3)2H

Reductive elimination of methane occurs upon solution thermolysis of kappa(3)-Tp(Me)2Pt(IV)(CH(3))(2)H (1, Tp(Me)2 = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate). The platinum product of this reaction is determined by the solvent. C-D bond activation occurs after methane elimination in benzene-d(6), to yield kappa(3)-Tp(Me)2Pt(IV)(CH(3))(C(6)D(5))D (2-d(6)), which undergoes a second reductive elimination/oxidative addition reaction to yield isotopically labeled methane and kappa(3)-Tp(Me)2Pt(IV)(C(6)D(5))(2)D (3-d(11)). In contrast, kappa(2)-Tp(Me)2Pt(II)(CH(3))(NCCD(3)) (4) was obtained in the presence of acetonitrile-d(3), after elimination of methane from 1. Reductive elimination of methane from these Pt(IV) complexes follows first-order kinetics, and the observed reaction rates are nearly independent of solvent. Virtually identical activation parameters (DeltaH(++)(obs) = 35.0 +/- 1.1 kcal/mol, DeltaS(++)(obs) = 13 +/- 3 eu) were measured for the reductive elimination of methane from 1 in both benzene-d(6) and toluene-d(8). A lower energy process (DeltaH(++)(scr) = 26 +/- 1 kcal/mol, DeltaS(++)(scr) = 1 +/- 4 eu) scrambles hydrogen atoms of 1 between the methyl and hydride positions, as confirmed by monitoring the equilibration of kappa(3)-Tp(Me)()2Pt(IV)(CH(3))(2)D (1-d(1)()) with its scrambled isotopomer, kappa(3)-Tp(Me)2Pt(IV)(CH(3))(CH(2)D)H (1-d(1'). The sigma-methane complex kappa(2)-Tp(Me)2Pt(II)(CH(3))(CH(4)) is proposed as a common intermediate in both the scrambling and reductive elimination processes. Kinetic results are consistent with rate-determining dissociative loss of methane from this intermediate to produce the coordinatively unsaturated intermediate [Tp(Me)2Pt(II)(CH(3))], which reacts rapidly with solvent. The difference in activation enthalpies for the H/D scrambling and C-H reductive elimination provides a lower limit for the binding enthalpy of methane to [Tp(Me)2Pt(II)(CH(3))] of 9 +/- 2 kcal/mol.     

Features of the propagation of laminar spherical flames initiated by a spark discharge in mixtures of methane,pentane, and hydrogen with air at atmospheric pressure

Using high-speed digital color cinematography, we studied the propagation of a laminar spherical flame in stoichiometric mixtures of hydrogen, methane, and pentane with air in the presence of additives at atmospheric pressure in constant-volume reactors, and derived quantitative data on the time of formation of a stable flame front. Cellular flames caused by gas-dynamic instability attributable to convective flows arising during the afterburning of gas were observed in hydrocarbon-air stoichiometric mixtures diluted with inert additives. It was found that the effect of additives of carbon dioxide and argon (>10%) and minor additives of CCl₄ on the combustion of hydrocarbons, and of propylene on the combustion of hydrogen-rich mixtures, lead to periods of delay in the development of a laminar spherical flame; in addition, additives of propylene promote the combustion of hydrogen poor mixtures.     

Thermodynamics of complexation of magnesium and calcium ions with dichloromethylenediphosphonate

Thermodynamic parameters for the complexation of CA(2+) and Mg(2+) ions by dichloromethylenediphosphonate (clodronate) ligand were obtained by potentiometric and calorimetric techniques. The measurements were conducted at an ionic strength of 0.10M [(CH(3))(4)NCl]) and at 25 degrees C. The potentiometric data were consistent with a model involving the presence of ML(2-)MHL(-) and M(2)L species (L = tetranegative clodronate anion). The enthalpies of formation of the ML(2-) and MHL(-) complexes were obtained from calorimetric data. Attempts to determine the enthalpies of formation of the M(2)L species were unsuccessful due to the limited solubilities of these species.     

Thermal decomposition mechanism of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ionic liquid

In order to better understand the volatilization process for ionic liquids, the vapor evolved from heating the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (EMIM(+)Br(-)) was analyzed via tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (VUV-PI-TOFMS) and thermogravimetric analysis mass spectrometry (TGA-MS). For this ionic liquid, the experimental results indicate that vaporization takes place via the evolution of alkyl bromides and alkylimidazoles, presumably through alkyl abstraction via an S(N)2 type mechanism, and that vaporization of intact ion pairs or the formation of carbenes is negligible. Activation enthalpies for the formation of the methyl and ethyl bromides were evaluated experimentally, ΔH(?)(CH(3)Br) = 116.1 ± 6.6 kJ/mol and ΔH(?)(CH(3)CH(2)Br) = 122.9 ± 7.2 kJ/mol, and the results are found to be in agreement with calculated values for the S(N)2 reactions. Comparisons of product photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves with literature data are in good agreement, and ab initio thermodynamics calculations are presented as further evidence for the proposed thermal decomposition mechanism. Estimates for the enthalpy of vaporization of EMIM(+)Br(-) and, by comparison, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (BMIM(+)Br(-)) from molecular dynamics calculations and their gas phase enthalpies of formation obtained by G4 calculations yield estimates for the ionic liquids' enthalpies of formation in the liquid phase: ΔH(vap)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = 168 ± 20 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?gas)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = 38.4 ± 10 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?liq)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = -130 ± 22 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?gas)(298 K) (BMIM(+)Br(-)) = -5.6 ± 10 kJ/mol, and ΔH(f,?liq)(298 K) (BMIM(+)Br(-)) = -180 ± 20 kJ/mol.     

Theoretical studies on the thermochemistry of stable closed-shell C1 and C2 brominated hydrocarbons

The enthalpies of formation of stable closed shell C1 and C2 brominated hydrocarbons have been predicted using Gaussian-3X model chemistry. The entropy, heat capacity, and thermal corrections are calculated from B3LYP/6-31G(2df,p) geometries and vibrational frequencies using rigid-rotor-harmonic-oscillator approximation, except for the quantities of the internal rotations in ethanes, which are calculated using the quantum-mechanical energy levels. Enthalpies of formation have been obtained from G3X atomization and isodesmic reactions. Good agreement is observed on the well-established experimental enthalpies of formation of CH 3Br, CH 2Br 2, CH 2ClBr, and C 2H 3Br from the high-resolution threshold photoelectron photoionization coincidence study.     

CH and C2 measurements imply a radical pool within a pool in acetylene flames

Measured CH and C2 profiles show a striking resemblance as a function of time in a series of seven well-characterized fuel-rich (phi=1.2-2.0) non-sooting acetylene flames. This implied commonality and interrelationship are unexpected as these radicals have dissimilar chemical kinetic natures. As a result, a rigorous examination was undertaken of the behavior of each of the hydrocarbon species known to be present, C, CH, CH2, CH3, CH4, CHO, CHOH, CH2O, CH2OH, CH3O, CH3OH, C2, C2H, C2H2, CHCO, CH2CO, and C2O. This emphasized the main region where CH and C2 are observed (50-600 micros) and reduced the kinetic reactions to only those that operate efficiently and are dominant. It was immediately apparent that this region of the flame reflects the nature of a hydrogen flame heavily doped with CO and CO2 and containing traces of hydrocarbons. The radical species, H, OH, O, along with H2, H2O, and O2, form an important controlling radical pool that is in partial equilibrium, and the concentrations of each of the hydrocarbon radicals are minor to this, playing secondary roles. As a result, the dominant fast reactions are those between the hydrocarbons and the basic hydrogen/oxygen radicals. Hydrocarbon-hydrocarbon reactions are unimportant here at these equivalence ratios. CH and C2 are formed and destroyed on a sub-microsecond time scale so that their flame profiles are the reflection of a complex kinetically dynamic system. This is found to be the case for all of the hydrocarbon species examined. As might be expected, these rapidly form steady-state distributions. However, with the exceptions of C, CHO, CHOH, and CH2O, which are irreversibly being oxidized, the others all form an interconnected hydrocarbon pool that is under the control of the larger hydrogen radical pool. The hydrocarbon pool can rapidly adjust, and the CH and C2 decay together as the pool is drained. This is either by continuing oxidation in less rich mixtures, or in richer flames where this is negligible by the onset of hydrocarbon-hydrocarbon reactions. The implications of such a hydrocarbon pool are significant. It introduces a buffering effect on their distribution and provides the indirect connection between CH and C2. Moreover, because they are members of this radical pool, flame studies alone cannot answer questions concerning their specific importance in combustion other than their contributing role to this pool. The presence of such a pool modifies the exactness that is needed for kinetic mechanisms, and knowledge of every species in the system no longer is necessary. Furthermore, as rate constants become refined, it will allow for the calculation of the relative concentrations of the hydrocarbon species and facilitate reduced kinetic mechanisms. It provides an explanation for previous isotopically labeled experiments and illustrates the difficulty of exactly identifying in flames the role of individual species. It resolves the fact that differing kinetic models can show similar levels of accuracy and has implications for sensitivity analyses. It finally unveils the mechanism of the flame ionization detector and has implications for the differing interpretations of diamond formation mechanisms.     

Thermochemistry of acetonyl and related radicals

Density functional and ab initio calculations at CBS-QB3 levels of theory were employed with a series of isodesmic reactions to determine the thermochemistry of the 2-oxopropyl or acetonyl radical (CH(3)COC*H2). In turn, this was used to determine formation enthalpies of 2-oxoethyl or formylmethyl (C*H(2)CHO), 2-oxobutyl (C*H(2)COC(2)H(5)), 1-methyl-2-oxopropyl or methylacetonyl (C*H(CH(3))COCH(3)), 1-methyl-2-oxobutyl (C*H(CH(3))COC(2)H(5)), and 3-oxopentyl (C*H(2)CH2COC(2)H(5)). Our computed standard enthalpy of formation of -34.9 +/- 1.9 kJ mol-1 and a resonance stabilization energy of approximately 22 kJ mol(-1) for acetonyl are in good agreement with recent re-determinations, which have indicated a substantial lowering in the long-established value for DeltaH(f)o (298.15 K). A bond dissociation energy of 401 kJ mol(-1) is suggested for the C-H bond in acetone with consistent values for the others. The calculations support the enthalpy of formation of acetaldehyde obtained from combustion experiments of -166.1 kJ mol(-1) rather than the figure of -170.7 kJ mol(-1) extracted from enthalpies of reduction and, in addition, serve to reduce the uncertainty in DeltaH(f)o the 2-oxoethyl radical to +13 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1).     

Thermodynamic excess properties of ternary alcohol-hydrocarbon systems. Simplified method for predicting enthalpies from binary data

Two general equations for estimation of excess enthalpies of ternary systems consisting of an alcohol and two hydrocarbons from observed excess properties of the various binary combinations have been developed. The first expression is based on the Kretschmer-Wiebe association model and takes the form $$\Delta \overline H _{ABC}^{ex} = h_A x_A K_A (\phi _{A1} - \phi _{A1}^o ) + Q_{ABC}$$ where $$\begin{gathered} Q_{ABC} = (x_A + x_B )(\phi _A + \phi _B )(\Delta \overline H _{AB}^{ex} )_{phys}^ \bullet + (x_A + x_C )(\phi _A + \phi _C )(\Delta \overline H _{AC}^{ex} )_{phys}^ \bullet \hfill \\ + (x_B + x_C )(\phi _B + \phi _C )(\Delta \overline H _{BC}^{ex} )_{phys}^ \bullet \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ \((\Delta \overline H _{ij}^{ex} )_{phys}^ \bullet\) represents the physical interactions in each of the individual binary systems, and the term involving φ _A1 ^o represents the chemical contributions (caused by self-association) to the excess enthalpies of mixing. The second predictive expression is based on the Mecke-Kempter association model and is given by $$\Delta \overline H _{ABC}^{ex} = - h_A x_A [In(1 + K_A \phi _A )/K_A \phi _A - In(1 + K_A )/K_A ] + Q_{ABC}$$ where the first term (contained within brackets) represetns the chemical contributions to the enthalpies of mixing. The predictions of both expressions are compared with experimental data for the excess enthalpies of six ternary systems.     

Enthalpies of formation and strain of chlorobenzoic acids from thermochemical measurements and from ab initio calculations

Molar enthalpies of sublimation of 2-chloro-, 3-chloro-, and 4-chlorobenzoic acids were obtained from the temperature dependence of the vapor pressure measured by the transpiration method. Thermochemical investigations of chlorobenzoic acids available in the literature were collected and combined with own experimental results to obtain their reliable standard molar enthalpies of formation at T = 298.15 K in the gaseous state. Ab initio calculations of chlorobenzoic acids have been performed using the G3(MP2) theory, and results from the homodesmic reactions are in excellent agreement with experiment. New results help us to resolve the uncertainty in the available thermochemical data on chlorobenzoic acids. The strain enthalpies of chlorobenzoic acids have been assessed using an isodesmic reaction procedure.     

Chlorination-methylation of the hydrogen-terminated silicon(111) surface can induce a stacking fault in the presence of etch pits

Recently, we reported STM images of the methylated Si(111) surface [prepared through chlorination-alkylation of the Si(111)-H surface] taken at 4.7 K, indicating that the torsion angle of the methyl group with respect to the subsurface silicon layer is phi = 23 +/- 3 degrees . Repulsions between H atoms in adjacent methyl groups are minimized at 30 degrees , while repulsions between H atoms and second layer Si atoms are minimized at 60 degrees . The experimental result of 23 degrees is surprising because it suggests a tendency of the methyl group toward the eclipsed configuration (0 degrees ) rather than staggered (60 degrees ). In contrast, extensive fully periodic quantum mechanical Density Functional Theory studies of this surface give an equilibrium torsion angle of 37.5 degrees , indicating a tendency toward the staggered configuration. This discrepancy can be resolved by showing that the CH3 on the step edges and etch pits interacts repulsively with the CH3 on the surface terraces unless a stacking fault is introduced between the first and second silicon layers of the Si(111)-CH3 surface terraces. We propose that this could occur during the chlorination-alkylation of the Si(111)-H surface. This stacking fault model predicted phi = 22.5 degrees measured with respect to the bulk (corresponding to phi = 37.5 degrees with respect to the second layer Si atoms). This model can be tested by measuring the orientation of the CH3 within the etch pits, which should have phi = 37.5 degrees , or by making a surface without etch pits, which should have phi = 37.5 degrees .     

DFT studies of the conformational/structural dependencies of geminal 1H,1H scalar coupling 2J(H,H') in substituted methanes

A study is presented of the structural dependencies for scalar, interproton J-coupling across two bonds in a series of substituted methanes. The coupled perturbed, density functional theory method with a B3PW91 functional and aug-cc-pVTZ-J basis sets is used to examine coupling between geminal protons (2)J(H,H') in methane and a series of substituted compounds CH(3)X (X = CH3, CH(2)CH(3), CH=CH2, CH=O, and NH2) as functions of the dihedral angle phi measured about the C1-X2 bonds. All four contributions are obtained but all conformational effects are dominated by the Fermi contact term. Simple linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO)-molecular orbital (MO) sum-over-states methods are used to examine the relationships of the coupling constants with dihedral angles as well as internal H-C-H and H-C1-X2 angles. This study explores some novel aspects of geminal H-H coupling including an analysis of the asymmetry in the conformational dependencies arising from non-next-nearest neighbor interactions. For each of the substituted methanes, explicit trigonometric/exponential expressions are given and these accurately reproduce the (2)J(H,H') structural dependencies with standard deviations usually less than 0.03 Hz. The molecular structures for representative bicyclic molecules were fully optimized, and DFT results for (2)J(H,H') reproduce all the trends in the experimental data. A discussion is given on the applicability of the equations for H--H coupling in the substituted methanes to coupling in the bicyclic molecules.     

Computational study of the thermochemistry of organophosphorus(III) compounds

The enthalpies of formation of organophosphorus(III) compounds have been calculated at the G3X, G3X(MP2), and B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) levels of theory using the atomization energy procedure and the method of isodesmic reactions. The Delta f H298 degree values for 50 relatively large molecules with up to 10 non-hydrogen atoms, such as P(CH3)3, P(C2H5)3, P(OCH3)3, n-C4H9OPCl2, [(CH3)2N]2PCl, (C2H5)2NPCl2, and [(CH3)2N]2PCN, have been calculated directly from the G3X atomization energies. A good agreement between the known experimental values and G3X results for 14 compounds provides support to our predictions for remaining species whose experimental enthalpies of formation are unknown or known with relatively large uncertainties. On the basis of our calculations and sometimes conflicting experimental data a set of internally consistent enthalpies of formation has been recommended for organophosphorus(III) compounds. Our computational results call into question the experimental enthalpies of formation of P(C2H5)3 and P(n-C4H9)3. From comparison with most reliable experimental data, the accuracy of the theoretical enthalpies of formation is estimated as ranging from 5 to 10 kJ/mol. The recommended Delta f H298 degree values were used to derive the group additivity values (GAVs) for 45 groups involving the phosphorus(III) atom. These GAVs significantly extend the applicability of Benson's group additivity method and may be used to estimate the enthalpies of formation of larger organophosphorus(III) compounds, where high level quantum chemical calculations are impracticable.     

The Effects of CO2 Additional on Flame Characteristics in the CH4/N2/O2 Counterflow Diffusion Flame

The effects (chemical, thermal, transport, and radiative) of CO₂ added to the fuel side and oxidizer side on the flame temperature and the position of the flame front in a one-dimensional laminar counterflow diffusion flame of methane/N₂/O₂ were studied. Overall CO₂ resulted in a decrease in flame temperature whether on the fuel side or on the oxidizer side, with the negative effect being more obvious on the latter side. The prominent effects of CO₂ on the flame temperature were derived from its thermal properties on the fuel side and its radiative properties on the oxidizer side. The results also highlighted the differences in the four effects of CO₂ on the position of the flame front on different sides. In addition, an analysis of OH and H radicals and the heat release rate of the main reactions illustrated how CO₂ affects the flame temperature.