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.     

The gas-phase reaction between O3 and HO radical: a theoretical study.

We report a theoretical study on the reaction of ozone with hydroxyl radical, which is important in the chemistry of the atmosphere and in particular participates in stratospheric ozone destruction. The reaction is a complex process that involves, in the first stage, a pre-reactive hydrogen-bonded complex (C1), which is formed previous to two transition states (TS1 and TS2) involving the addition of the hydroxyl radical to ozone, and leads to the formation of HO4 polyoxide radical before the release of the products HO2 and O2. The reaction is computed to be exothermic by 42.72 kcal mol(-1), which compares quite well with the experimental estimate, and the energy barriers of TS1 and TS2 with respect to C1 are computed to be 1.80 and 2.26 kcal mol(-1) at 0 K. A kinetic study based on the variational transition state theory (VTST) predicts a rate constant, at 298 K, of 7.37 x 10(-14) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), compared to the experimentally recommended value of 7.25 x 10(-14) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1).     

The reaction between HO and (H2O) n (n?=?1, 3) clusters: reaction mechanisms and tunneling effects

The reaction between the HO radical and (H₂O)n (n?=?1, 3) clusters has been investigated employing high-level quantum mechanical calculations using DFT-BH&HLYP, QCISD, and CCSD(T) theoretical approaches in connection with the 6-311?+?G(2df,2p), aug-cc-pVTZ, and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets. The rate constants have also been calculated and the tunneling effects have been studied by means of time?Cdependent wavepacket calculations, performed using the Quantum?CReaction Path Hamiltonian method. According to the findings of previously reported theoretical works, the reaction between HO and H₂O begins with the formation of a pre-reactive complex that is formed before the transition state, the formation of a post-reactive complex, and the release of the products. The reaction between HO and (H₂O)₂ also begins with the formation of a pre-reactive complex, which dissociates into H₂O??HO?+?H₂O. The reaction between HO and (H₂O)₃ is much more complex. The hydroxyl radical adds to the water trimer, and then it occurs a geometrical rearrangement in the pre-reactive hydrogen-bonded complex region, before the transition state. The reaction between hydroxyl radical and water trimer is computed to be much faster than the reaction between hydroxyl radical and a single water molecule, and, in both cases, the tunneling effects are very important mainly at low temperatures. A prediction of the atmospheric concentration of the hydrogen-bonded complexes studied in this work is also reported.     

Tropopause chemistry revisited: HO2*-initiated oxidation as an efficient acetone sink

Acetone is known to be a key species in the chemistry of the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere. In this theoretical study, using amply validated methodologies, the hitherto overlooked reaction of acetone with HO2* radicals is found to lead to a fast equilibrium (CH3)2C=O + HO2* right harpoon over left harpoon (CH3)2C(OH)OO*. At room temperature, this is shifted entirely to the left and thus of no consequence. However, near the tropopause (T 相似文献   

Thermochemical data and additivity group values for ten species of o-xylene low-temperature oxidation mechanism

o-Xylene could be a good candidate to represent the family of aromatic hydrocarbons in a surrogate fuel. This study uses computational chemistry to calculate standard enthalpies of formation at 298 K, Δ(f)H°(298 K), standard entropies at 298 K, S°(298 K), and standard heat capacities C(p)°(T) over the temperature range 300 K to 1500 K for ten target species present in the low-temperature oxidation mechanism of o-xylene: o-xylene (1), 2-methylbenzyl radical (2), 2-methylbenzylperoxy radical (3), 2-methylbenzyl hydroperoxide (4), 2-(hydroperoxymethyl)benzyl radical (5), 2-(hydroperoxymethyl)benzaldehyde (6), 1-ethyl-2-methylbenzene (7), 2,3-dimethylphenol (8), 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (9), and 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde (10). Δ(f)H°(298 K) values are weighted averages across the values calculated using five isodesmic reactions and five composite calculation methods: CBS-QB3, G3B3, G3MP2, G3, and G4. The uncertainty in Δ(f)H°(298 K) is also evaluated. S°(298 K) and C(p)°(T) values are calculated at B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory from molecular properties and statistical thermodynamics through evaluation of translational, rotational, vibrational, and electronic partition functions. S°(298 K) and C(p)°(300 K) values are evaluated using the rigid-rotor-harmonic-oscillator model. C(p)°(T) values at T ≥ 400 K are calculated by treating separately internal rotation contributions and translational, external rotational, vibrational, and electronic contributions. The thermochemical properties of six target species are used to develop six new additivity groups taking into account the interaction between two substituents in ortho (ORT/CH2OOH/ME, ORT/ET/ME, ORT/CHO/OH, ORT/CHO/CH2OOH) or meta (MET/CHO/OH) positions, and the interaction between three substituents (ME/ME/OH123) located one beside the other (positions numbered 1, 2, 3) for two- or three-substituted benzenic species. Two other additivity groups are also developed using the thermochemical properties of benzenic species taken from the literature: the C/CB/H2/OO and the CB/CO groups. These groups extend the capacities of the group additivity method to deal with substituted benzenic species.     

Peroxy radical isomerization in the oxidation of isoprene

We report experimental evidence for the formation of C(5)-hydroperoxyaldehydes (HPALDs) from 1,6-H-shift isomerizations in peroxy radicals formed from the hydroxyl radical (OH) oxidation of 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (isoprene). At 295 K, the isomerization rate of isoprene peroxy radicals (ISO2?) relative to the rate of reaction of ISO2? + HO2 is k(isom)(295)/(k(ISO2?+HO2)(295)) = (1.2 ± 0.6) x 10(8) mol cm(-3), or k(isom)(295) ? 0.002 s(-1). The temperature dependence of this rate was determined through experiments conducted at 295, 310 and 318 K and is well described by k(isom)(T)/(k(ISO2?+HO2)(T)) = 2.0 x 10(21) exp(-9000/T) mol cm(-3). The overall uncertainty in the isomerization rate (relative to k(ISO2?+HO2)) is estimated to be 50%. Peroxy radicals from the oxidation of the fully deuterated isoprene analog isomerize at a rate ～15 times slower than non-deuterated isoprene. The fraction of isoprene peroxy radicals reacting by 1,6-H-shift isomerization is estimated to be 8-11% globally, with values up to 20% in tropical regions.     

Hydrogen transfer between sulfuric acid and hydroxyl radical in the gas phase: competition among hydrogen atom transfer, proton-coupled electron-transfer, and double proton transfer

In an attempt to assess the potential role of the hydroxyl radical in the atmospheric degradation of sulfuric acid, the hydrogen transfer between H2SO4 and HO* in the gas phase has been investigated by means of DFT and quantum-mechanical electronic-structure calculations, as well as classical transition state theory computations. The first step of the H2SO4 + HO* reaction is the barrierless formation of a prereactive hydrogen-bonded complex (Cr1) lying 8.1 kcal mol(-1) below the sum of the (298 K) enthalpies of the reactants. After forming Cr1, a single hydrogen transfer from H2SO4 to HO* and a degenerate double hydrogen-exchange between H2SO4 and HO* may occur. The single hydrogen transfer, yielding HSO4* and H2O, can take place through three different transition structures, the two lowest energy ones (TS1 and TS2) corresponding to a proton-coupled electron-transfer mechanism, whereas the higher energy one (TS3) is associated with a hydrogen atom transfer mechanism. The double hydrogen-exchange, affording products identical to reactants, takes place through a transition structure (TS4) involving a double proton-transfer mechanism and is predicted to be the dominant pathway. A rate constant of 1.50 x 10(-14) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) at 298 K is obtained for the overall reaction H2SO4 + HO*. The single hydrogen transfer through TS1, TS2, and TS3 contributes to the overall rate constant at 298 K with a 43.4%. It is concluded that the single hydrogen transfer from H2SO4 to HO* yielding HSO4* and H2O might well be a significant sink for gaseous sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.     

Water dependence of the HO2 self reaction: kinetics of the HO2-H2O complex

Transient absorption spectra and decay profiles of HO2 have been measured using cw near-IR two-tone frequency modulation absorption spectroscopy at 297 K and 50 Torr in diluent of N2 in the presence of water. From the depletion of the HO2 absorption peak area following the addition of water, the equilibrium constant of the reaction HO2 + H2O <--> HO2-H2O was determined to be K2 = (5.2 +/- 3.2) x 10(-19) cm3 molecule(-1) at 297 K. Substituting K2 into the water dependence of the HO2 decay rate, the rate coefficient of the reaction HO2 + HO2-H2O was estimated to be (1.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) at 297 K and 50 Torr with N2 as the diluent. This reaction is much faster than the HO2 self-reaction without water. It is suggested that the apparent rate of the HO2 self-reaction is enhanced by the formation of the HO2-H2O complex and its subsequent reaction. Results are discussed with respect to the kinetics and atmospheric chemistry of the HO2-H2O complex. At 297 K and 50% humidity, the concentration ratio of [HO2-H2O]/[HO2] was estimated from the value of K2 to be 0.19 +/- 0.11.     

Theoretical characterization of the gas-phase O(3)HO hydrogen-bonded complex.

We report a theoretical study on two gas-phase hydrogen-bonded complexes formed between ozone and hydroxyl radical that have relevance to atmospheric chemistry. This study was carried out by using CASSCF, CASPT2, QCISD, and CCSD(T) theoretical approaches in conjunction with the 6-311+G(2df,2p) and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. Both complexes have a planar structure and differ from each other in the orientation of the electronic density of the unpaired electron associated with the HO radical moiety. Our calculations predict their stabilities to be 0.87 and 0.67 kcal mol(-1), respectively, at 0 K and show the importance of anharmonic effects in computing the red shift of the HO stretch originating from the hydrogen-bonding interaction. We also report two transition states involving the movement of the HO moiety on the potential energy surfaces of these hydrogen-bonded complexes.     

Amorphous/crystalline (A/C) thermodynamic "rules of thumb": estimating standard thermodynamic data for amorphous materials using standard data for their crystalline counterparts

Standard thermochemical data (in the form of Δ(f)H° and Δ(f)G°) are available for crystalline (c) materials but rarely for their corresponding amorphous (a) counterparts. This paper establishes correlations between the sets of data for the two material forms (where known), which can then be used as a guideline for estimation of missing data. Accordingly, Δ(f)H°(a)/kJ mol(-1) ≈ 0.993Δ(f)H°(c)/kJ mol(-1) + 12.52 (R(2) = 0.9999; n = 50) and Δ(f)G°/kJ mol(-1) ≈ 0.988Δ(f)H°(c)/kJ mol(-1) + 0.70 (R(2) = 0.9999; n = 10). Much more tentatively, we propose that S°(298)(c)/J K(-1) mol(-1) ≈ 1.084S°(298)(c)/J K(-1) mol(-1) + 6.54 (R(2) = 0.9873; n = 11). An amorphous hydrate enthalpic version of the Difference Rule is also proposed (and tested) in the form [Δ(f)H°(M(p)X(q)·nH(2)O,a) - Δ(f)H°(M(p)X(q),a)]/kJ mol(-1) ≈ Θ(Hf)n ≈ -302.0n, where M(p)X(q)·nH(2)O represents an amorphous hydrate and M(p)X(q) the corresponding amorphous anhydrous parent salt.     

Experimental and ab initio study of the HO2.CH3OH complex: thermodynamics and kinetics of formation

Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor HO2 formed by pulsed laser photolysis of Cl2-O2-CH3OH-N2 mixtures. On the microsecond time scale, [HO2] exhibited a time dependence consistent with a mechanism in which [HO2] approached equilibrium via HO2 + HO2.CH3OH (3, -3). The equilibrium constant for reaction 3, K(p), was measured between 231 and 261 K at 50 and 100 Torr, leading to standard reaction enthalpy and entropy values (1 sigma) of delta(r) = -37.4 +/- 4.8 kJ mol(-1) and delta(r) = -100 +/- 19 J mol(-1) K(-1). The effective bimolecular rate constant, k3, for formation of the HO2.CH3OH complex is .10(-15).exp[(1800 +/- 500)/T] cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) at 100 Torr (1 sigma). Ab initio calculations of the optimized structure and energetics of the HO2.CH3OH complex were performed at the CCSD(T)/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//MP2(full)/6-311++G(2df,2pd) level. The complex was found to have a strong hydrogen bond (D(e) = 43.9 kJ mol(-1)) with the hydrogen in HO2 binding to the oxygen in CH3OH. The calculated enthalpy for association is delta(r) = -36.8 kJ mol(-1). The potentials for the torsion about the O2-H bond and for the hydrogen-bond stretch were computed and 1D vibrational levels determined. After explicitly accounting for these degrees of freedom, the calculated Third Law entropy of association is delta(r) = -106 J mol(-1) K(-1). Both the calculated enthalpy and entropy of association are in reasonably good agreement with experiment. When combined with results from our previous study (Christensen et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2002, 29; doi:10.1029/2001GL014525), the rate coefficient for the reaction of HO2 with the complex, HO2 + HO2.CH3OH, is determined to be (2.1 +/- 0.7) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). The results of the present work argue for a reinterpretation of the recent measurement of the HO2 self-reaction rate constant by Stone and Rowley (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2005, 7, 2156). Significant complex concentrations are present at the high methanol concentrations used in that work and lead to a nonlinear methanol dependence of the apparent rate constant. This nonlinearity introduces substantial uncertainty in the extrapolation to zero methanol.     

Investigation of the radical product channel of the CH(3)C(O)CH(2)O(2) + HO(2) reaction in the gas phase

The reaction of CH(3)C(O)CH(2)O(2) with HO(2) has been studied at 296 K and 700 Torr using long path FTIR spectroscopy, during photolysis of Cl(2)/acetone/methanol/air mixtures. The branching ratio for the reaction channel forming CH(3)C(O)CH(2)O, OH and O(2) () was investigated in experiments in which OH radicals were scavenged by addition of benzene to the system, with subsequent formation of phenol used as the primary diagnostic for OH radical formation. The observed prompt formation of phenol under conditions when CH(3)C(O)CH(2)O(2) reacts mainly with HO(2) indicates that this reaction proceeds partially by channel , which forms OH both directly and indirectly, by virtue of secondary generation of CH(3)C(O)O(2) (from CH(3)C(O)CH(2)O) and its reaction with HO(2) (). The secondary generation of OH radicals was confirmed by the observed formation of CH(3)C(O)OOH, a well-established product of the CH(3)C(O)O(2) + HO(2) reaction (via channel ). A number of delayed sources of OH also contribute to the observed phenol formation, such that full characterisation of the system required simulations using a detailed chemical mechanism. The dependence of the phenol and CH(3)C(O)OOH yields on the initial peroxy radical precursor reagent concentration ratio, [methanol](0)/[acetone](0), were well described by the mechanism, consistent with a small but significant fraction of the reaction of CH(3)C(O)CH(2)O(2) with HO(2) proceeding via channel . This allowed a branching ratio of k(3b)/k(3) = 0.15 +/- 0.08 to be determined. The results therefore provide strong indirect evidence for the participation of the radical-forming channel of the title reaction.     

Acid-base thermochemistry of gaseous aliphatic α-aminoacids

Acid-base thermochemistry of isolated aliphatic amino acids (denoted AAA): glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine and proline has been examined theoretically by quantum chemical computations at the G3MP2B3 level. Conformational analysis on neutral, protonated and deprotonated species has been used to identify the lowest energy conformers and to estimate the population of conformers expected to be present at thermal equilibrium at 298 K. Comparison of the G3MP2B3 theoretical proton affinities, PA, and ΔH(acid) with experimental results is shown to be correct if experimental thermochemistry is re-evaluated and adapted to the most recent acidity-basicity scales. From this point of view, a set of evaluated proton affinities of 887, 902, 915, 916, 919 and 941 kJ mol(-1), and a set of evaluated ΔH(acid) of 1433, 1430, 1423, 1423, 1422 and 1426 kJ mol(-1), is proposed for glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine and proline, respectively. Correlations with structural parameters (Taft's σ(α) polarizability parameter and molecular size) suggest that polarizability of the side chain is the major origin of the increase in PA and decrease in ΔH(acid) along the homologous series glycine, alanine, valine and leucine/isoleucine. Heats of formation of gaseous species AAA, AAAH(+) and [AAA-H](-) were computed at the G3MP2B3 level. The present study provides previously unavailable Δ(f)H°(298) for the ionized species AAAH(+) and [AAA-H](-). Comparison with Benson's estimate, and correlation with molecular size, show that several experimental Δ(f)H°(298) values of neutral or gaseous AAA might be erroneous.     

Experimental determination of dissociation pressures for hydrates of the cis- and trans-isomers of 2-butene below the ice temperature

The three-phase (vapor + ice + hydrate) (VIH) hydrate equilibrium was determined for cis- and trans-2-butene using a new and a simple experimental technique. The equilibrium measurements were done at temperatures between 248 to 272 K and pressures between 16.7 to 67.6 kPa for cis-2-butene, and for trans-2-butene between 245 to 272 K and 15.4 to 70.4 kPa. The accuracy of the experimental technique was verified by measuring hydrate dissociation pressures for pure propane below the ice temperature; the results obtained were in good agreement with those in the literature for pure propane.     

Reactivities of superoxide and hydroperoxyl radicals with disubstituted cyclic nitrones: a DFT study

The unique ability of nitrone spin traps to detect and characterize transient free radicals by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has fueled the development of new spin traps with improved properties. Among a variety of free radicals in chemical and biological systems, superoxide radical anion (O(2)(?-)) plays a critical role as a precursor to other more oxidizing species such as hydroxyl radical (HO(?)), peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), and hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and therefore the direct detection of O(2)(?-) is important. To overcome the limitations of conventional cyclic nitrones, that is, poor reactivity with O(2)(?-), instability of the O(2)(?-) adduct, and poor cellular target specificity, synthesis of disubstituted nitrones has become attractive. Disubstituted nitrones offer advantages over the monosubstituted ones because they allow bifunctionalization of spin traps, therefore accommodating all the desired spin trap properties in one molecular design. However, because of the high number of possible disubstituted analogues as candidate, a systematic computational study is needed to find leads for the optimal spin trap design for biconjugation. In this paper, calculation of the energetics of O(2)(?-) and HO(2)(?) adduct formation from various disubstituted nitrones at PCM/B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory was performed to determine the most favorable disubstituted nitrones for this reaction. In addition, our results provided general trends of radical reactivity that is dependent upon but not exclusive to the charge densities of nitronyl-C, the position of substituents including stereoselectivities, and the presence of intramolecular H-bonding interaction. Unusually high exoergic ΔG(298K,aq)'s for O(2)(?-) and HO(2)(?) adduct formation were predicted for (3S,5S)-5-methyl-3,5-bis(methylcarbamoyl)-1-pyrroline N-oxide (11-cis) and (4S,5S)-5-dimethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-4-ethoxycarbonyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (29-trans) with ΔG(298K,aq) = -3.3 and -9.4 kcal/mol, respectively, which are the most exoergic ΔG(298K,aq) observed thus far for any nitrone at the level of theory employed in this study.     

DFT study on isomerization and decomposition of cuprous dialkyldithiophosphate and its reaction with alkylperoxy radical

The cuprous dialkyldithiophosphate [(RO)2PS2Cu, CuDDP] as an antioxidant has been industrially used in lubricating oil. In this paper, for the first time, a computational study has been carried out for CuDDP. The scaled hypersphere search method has been used to explore the isomerization and decomposition pathways of (HO)2PS2Cu, a model compound of CuDDP, and its reaction with CH3OO* radical. The calculations were performed at the B3LYP level of theory. The results show that the most stable structure of (HO)2PS2Cu has pseudo-C2v symmetry and a four-membered ring constructed by P, Cu, and two S atoms. The bond-rearrangement isomerization leading to a (H)O-bridging structure is kinetically feasible. Three dissociation channels have been found for (HO)2PS2Cu, which require high energy (>60 kcal/mol) under the investigated condition. The reaction of (HO)2PS2Cu with CH3OO* includes bond-rearrangement isomerization and the decomposition of CH3OO* moiety. The (HO)2PS2Cu-assisted CH3OO* decomposition occurs via its O-O bond cleavage or the C-O bond dissociation. The former decomposition manner has been computed to be preferable over the latter at low temperature, but calculations suggested for the latter decomposition manner at higher temperature. Such a decomposition reaction, which is endothermic but possible, may be related to the antioxidation process of CuDDP.     

Infrared frequency-modulation probing of product formation in alkyl + O2 reactions. Part IV. Reactions of propyl and butyl radicals with O2

The time-resolved production of HO2 in the Cl-initiated oxidation of iso- and n-butane is measured using continuous-wave (CW) infrared frequency modulation spectroscopy between 298 and 693 K. The yield of HO2 is determined relative to the Cl2/CH3OH/O2 system. As in studies of smaller alkanes, the branching fraction to HO2 + alkene in butyl + O2 displays a dramatic rise with increasing temperature between about 550 and 700 K (the "transition region") which is accompanied by a qualitative change in the time behavior of the HO2 production. At low temperatures the HO2 is formed promptly; a second, slower production of HO2 is responsible for the bulk of the increased yield in the transition temperature region. In contrast to reactions of smaller alkyl radicals with O2, the total HO2 yield in the butyl radical reactions appears to remain significantly below 1 up to 700 K, implying a significant role for OH-producing channels. The slower HO2 production in butane oxidation displays an apparent activation energy similar to that measured for smaller alkyl + O2 reactions, suggesting that the energetics of the HO2 elimination transition state are similar for a broad range of R + O2 systems. A combination of QCISD(T) based characterizations of the propyl and butyl + O2 potential energy surfaces and master equation based characterization of the propyl + O2 kinetics provide the framework for explanation of the experimentally observed HO2 production in Cl-initiated propane and butane oxidation. These calculations suggest that the HO2 elimination channel is similar in all reaction systems, and that hydroperoxyalkyl (QOOH) species produced by internal H-atom abstraction in RO2 can provide a path to OH formation. However, the QOOH formed by the energetically favorable 1,5 isomerization (via a six-membered ring transition state) generally experiences significant barriers (relative to the radical + O2 reactants) to the production of an oxetane + OH. In contrast, the barriers to forming OH + an oxirane or an oxolane, via 1,4 or 1,6 isomerizations, respectively, are generally below reactants.     

Oxidation of 2-propanol and cyclohexane by the reagent "hydrogen peroxide-vanadate anion-pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid": kinetics and mechanism

The vanadate anion in the presence of pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid (PCA [identical with] pcaH) efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of 2-propanol by hydrogen peroxide to give acetone. UV-vis spectroscopic monitoring of the reaction as well as the kinetics lead to the conclusion that the crucial step of the process is the monomolecular decomposition of a diperoxovanadium(V) complex containing the pca ligand to afford the peroxyl radical, HOO(.-) and a V(IV) derivative. The rate-limiting step in the overall process may not be this (rapid) decomposition itself but (prior to this step) the slow hydrogen transfer from a coordinated H2O2 molecule to the oxygen atom of a pca ligand at the vanadium center: "(pca)(O=)V...O2H2" --> "(pca)(HO-)V-OOH". The V(IV) derivative reacts with a new hydrogen peroxide molecule to generate the hydroxyl radical ("V(IV)" + H2O2 --> "V(V)" + HO(-) + HO(.-)), active in the activation of isopropanol: HO(.-) + Me2CH(OH) --> H2O + Me2C(.-)(OH). The reaction with an alkane, RH, in acetonitrile proceeds analogously, and in this case the hydroxyl radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from the alkane: HO(.-) + RH --> H2O + R(.-). These conclusions are in a good agreement with the results obtained by Bell and co-workers (Khaliullin, R. Z.; Bell, A. T.; Head-Gordon, M. J. Phys. Chem. B 2005, 109, 17984-17992) who recently carried out a density functional theory study of the mechanism of radical generation in the reagent under discussion in acetonitrile.     

A mechanistic study of the 2-thienylmethyl + HO2 radical recombination reaction

Radical recombination reactions are important in the combustion of fuel oils. Shale oil contains alkylated heteroaromatic species, the simplest example of which is the 2-thienylmethyl radical. The ab initio potential energy surface for the reaction of the 2-thienylmethyl radical with the HO(2) radical has been examined. Seventeen product channels corresponding to either addition/elimination or direct hydrogen abstraction have been characterized for the first time. Direct hydrogen abstract from HO(2) proceeds via a weakly bound van der Waals complex, which leads to 2-methylthiophene, 2-methylene-2,3-dihydrothiophene, or 2-methylene-2,5-dihydrothiophene depending upon the 2-thienylmethyl radical reaction site. The addition pathway for the two radical reactants is barrierless with the formation of three adducts, as distinguished by HO(2) reaction at three different sites on the 2-thienylmethyl radical. The addition is exothermic by 37-55 kcal mol(-1) relative to the entrance channel, and these excess energies are available to promote further decomposition or rearrangement of the adducts, leading to nascent products such as H, OH, H(2)O, and CH(2)O. The reaction surfaces are characterized by relatively low barriers (most lower than 10 kcal mol(-1)). Upon the basis of a careful analysis of the overall barrier heights and reaction exothermicities, the formations of O(2), OH, and H(2)O are likely to be important pathways in the radical recombination reactions of 2-thienylmethyl + HO(2).