Kinetics of chemically activated ethane

Chemically activated ethane, with an excitation energy of 114.9 ± 2 kcal/mole, was formed by reaction with methane of excited singlet methylene radicals produced by the 4358 Å photolysis of diazomethane. A decomposition rate constant of (4.6 ± 1.2) × 10⁹ sec^?1 was measured for the chemically activated ethane. This result agrees, via RRKM theory, with most other chemically activated ethane data, and the result predicts, via RRKM and absolute rate theory for E₀ = 85.8 kcal/mole, E* = 114.9 kcal/mole, and k_E = 4.6 × 101 sec^?1, a thermal A-factor at 600°K of 10^16.6±0.2 sec^?1, in approximate agreement with the more recent experimental values. Combining 2 kcal/mole uncertainties in E₀ and E* with the uncertainty in our rate constant yields an A-factor range of 10^16.6±0.7 sec^?1. It is emphasized that this large uncertainty in the A-factor results from an improbable combination of uncertainty limits for the various parameters. These decomposition results predict, via absolute rate theory (with E₀(recombination) = 0) and statistical thermodynamic equilibrium constants, methyl radical recombination rates at 25°C of between 4.4 × 10⁸ to 3.1 × 10⁹ l.-mole^?1-sec^?1, which are 60 to 8 times lower, respectively, than the apparently quite reliable experimental value. A value of E₀(recombination) greater than zero offers no improvement, and a value less than zero would be quite unusual. Activated complexes consistent with the experimental recombination rate and E₀(recombination) = 0 greatly overestimate the experimental chemical activation and high pressure thermal decomposition rate data. Absolute rate theory as it is applied here in a straightforward way has failed in this case, or a significant amount of internally consistent data are in serious error. Some corrections to our previous calculations for higher alkanes are discussed in Appendix II.     

Vibrational spectra of zinc halide complexes with trimethylphosphine oxide

The Raman and IR spectra are reported for the complexes ZnCl₂.2TMPO, ZnBr₂.2TMPO and ZnI₂.2TMPO. The observed frequencies for polycrystalline samples are assigned on the basis of a C_3v structure for the TMPO ligand and a C_2y structure for the ZnX₂O₂ skeletal fundamentals. To discuss the coordination effects of TMPO, the ligand vibrations are compared with those of free TMPO and the skeletal vibrations with those of acetonitrile complexes. Using the ratios of G matrix elements and of observed frequencies for symmetric and asymmetric Zn-X stretching modes, the ZnX₂O₂ skeletal structures are found to be tetrahedral.     

Theoretical study of the force field and vibrational assignments of acetamide and deuterated analogues

The complete harmonic force constants of acetamide have been evaluated by ab initio calculations at the Hartree-Fock level with the 4–31G(d) basis set. The force field was scaled to compensate for the systematic overestimations of the Hartree-Fock-level force constants by empirical factors using the matrix isolation IR spectra of CH₃CONH₂ and CD₃CONH₂. A normal coordinate treatment has been carried out with the scaled force field to analyze the vibrational spectra of CH₃CONH₂. A normal coordinate treatment has been carried out with the scaled force field to analyze the vibrational spectra of CH₃COND₂, cis-CH₃CONHD and trans-CH₃CONHD. The effect of cis/trans isomerism of CH₃CONHD on the fundamental bands was well reproduced by the calculations. The fundamental vibrations were also predicted for CD₃COND₂, cis-CD₃CONHD and trans-CD₃CONHD.     

On the Mechanism of the Reactivity of 1,3‐Dialkylimidazolium Salts under Basic to Acidic Conditions: A Combined Kinetic and Computational Study

Comprehensive spectroscopic kinetic studies illustrate an alternative mechanism for the traditional free‐carbene intermediated H/D exchange reaction of 1,3‐dialkylimidazolium salts under neutral (D₂O) and acidic conditions (DCl/D₂O 35 wt % solution). The deuteration of high purity [bmim]Cl in D₂O is studied at different temperatures, in absence of catalyst or impurities, to yield an activation energy. DFT transition‐state modelling, of a small water cluster and [bmim] cation, also yields an activation energy which strongly supports the proposed mechanism. The presence of basic impurities are shown to significantly enhance the exchange reaction, which brings into question the need for further analysis of technical purities of ionic liquids and the implications for a wide range of chemical reactions in such media.     

Low wavenumberRaman bands (300−50cm−1) for four isotopically substituted lithium hydrogen oxalate monohydrates LiXC2O4·X 2O

The solid stateRaman spectra (300?50 cm^?1) of lithium hydrogen oxalate monohydrate have been investigated for four isotopically substituted compounds,⁶LiHC₂O₄·H₂O,⁷LiHC₂O₄·H₂O,⁶LiDC₂O₄·D₂O and⁷LiDC₂O₄·D₂O. The observed spectral data have been discussed on the basis of the factor group analysis by considering the H/D and⁶Li/⁷Li isotope effects on the fundamental lattice vibrations.     

An homologous series of benzodiazepine retention index standards for gas chromatography

An homologous series of benzodiazepine retention index standards (the R-series) has been synthesized and the gas chromatographic behavior of the series investigated on NB-54 and NB-1701 capillary columns. The compounds were stable, exhibited symmetrical peak shapes, and fairly linear retention behavior was observed on both columns. The series can be coinjected with every sample to enable the high precision analysis of toxicological samples; screening for 20 benzodiazepine drugs was possible in 23 minutes (including cooling). The R-series method was compared with a retention index method based on a series of benzodiazepine drugs as standards and with a method employing relative retention times. The precision of the R-series method was found to be generally better than that of the two other methods in both long- and short-term studies.     

Search for quasiperiodic motion in vibrationally excited formaldehyde formed by S1 → So internal conversion

A quasi-classical trajectory calculation is performed to simulate formaldehyde decomposition following S₁ → S_o internal conversion. No mode specificity is observed in the unimolecular decay rates. Each of the trajectories exhibited chaotic motion. These findings suggest that the S₁ → S_o internal conversion step does not prepare long-lived vibrational states in ground-state formaldehyde.