Stability of a row of noncircular cylinders in an elastic matrix with finite strains

Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaidzhan SSR, Baku. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 26, No. 10, pp. 16–21, October, 1990.     

Zeolite-supported palladium tetramer and its reactivity toward H2 molecules: computational studies

Effects of zeolite support on reactivity of Pd 4 cluster toward dihydrogen molecules were studied at the DFT level using T6 (six-ring) and T24 (sodalite cage) clusters as models of zeolite FAU. It has been found that Pd 4 cluster binds to O-centers of T6 cluster via eta (3) and eta (2) coordination modes, leading to three different T6/Pd 4 clusters. For the energetically most stable triplet state T6/Pd 4 structures, the energy of interaction between Pd 4 and the constrained T6 ring is calculated to be ca. -5 kcal/mol. Encapsulating Pd 4 in a sodalite cage (T24) with the full relaxation of cluster geometry resulted in the Pd 4-zeolite interaction energy of -7.4 kcal/mol after correcting for basis set superposition error. The H-H bond activation barrier associated with the first H 2 addition to the triplet state T6/Pd 4 clusters (Delta E 0/Delta H, kcal/mol) varies from (2.2/0.7) to (3.2/2.0) to (4.8/3.5), depending on the path. Comparison of the calculated H 2 addition barriers for the T6-supported and gas-phase Pd 4 indicates that embedding of Pd 4 on zeolite reduces this barrier slightly (by 1.8/2.1 kcal/mol). Interestingly, the characteristic gas phase Pd 4-H 2 active site structural motif has been preserved in the T6-supported transition state structures. The heat of the reaction of the addition of first H 2 to the triplet state T6/Pd 4 ranges from (-17.6/-18.9) to (-21.8/-23.5) for the paths considered. The addition of the second, third and fourth H 2 molecules to the respective first H 2 addition products leads to the dissociative addition product only for the continuation of the single first H 2 addition path.     

Computational study on kinetics and mechanisms of unimolecular decomposition of succinic acid and its anhydride

The mechanisms and kinetics of unimolecular decomposition of succinic acid and its anhydride have been studied at the G2M(CC2) and microcanonical RRKM levels of theory. It was shown that the ZsgsZ conformer of succinic acid, with the Z-acid form and the gauche conformation around the central C-C bond, is its most stable conformer, whereas the lowest energy conformer with the E-acid form, ECGsZ, is only 3.1 kcal/mol higher in energy than the ZsgsZ. Three primary decomposition channels of succinic acid producing H2O + succinic anhydride with a barrier of 51.0 kcal/mol, H2O + OCC2H3COOH with a barrier of 75.7 kcal/mol and CO2 + C2H5COOH with a barrier of 71.9 kcal/mol were predicted. The dehydration process starting from the ECGCZ-conformer is found to be dominant, whereas the decarboxylation reaction starting from the ZsgsZ-conformer is only slightly less favorable. It was shown that the decomposition of succinic anhydride occurs via a concerted fragmentation mechanism (with a 69.6 kcal/mol barrier), leading to formation of CO + CO2 + C2H4 products. On the basis of the calculated potential energy surfaces of these reactions, the rate constants for unimolecular decomposition of succinic acid and its anhydride were predicted. In addition, the predicted rate constants for the unimolecular decomposition of C2H5COOH by decarboxylation (giving C2H6 + CO2) and dehydration (giving H3CCHCO + H2O) are in good agreement with available experimental data.     

Mechanisms of the reactions of W and W+ with NOx (x=1, 2): a computational study

The mechanisms of the reactions of W and W+ with NOx (x=1, 2) were studied at the CCSD(T)/[SDD+6-311G(d)]//B3LYP/[SDD+6-31G(d)] level of theory. It was shown that the insertion pathway of the reaction W(7S)+NO2(2A1) is a multistate process, which involves several lower lying electronic states of numerous intermediates and transition states, and leads to oxidation, WO(3Sigma)+NO(2Pi), and/or nitration, WN(4Sigma)+O2(3Sigmag-), of the W-center. Oxidation products WO(3Sigma)+NO(2Pi) lie 87.6 kcal/mol below the reactants, while the nitration channel is only 31.0 kcal/mol exothermic. Furthermore, it was shown that nitration of W with NO2 is kinetically less favorable than its oxidation. The addition-dissociation pathway of the reaction W(7S)+NO2(2A1) proceeds via the octet (ground) state potential energy surface of the reaction, requires 3.3 kcal/mol barrier, and leads exclusively to oxidation products. Calculations show that oxidation of the W+ cation by NO2 is a barrierless process in the gas phase, proceeds exclusively via the insertion pathway, and is exothermic by 82.9 kcal/mol. The nitration of W+ by NO2 is only 14.1 kcal/mol exothermic and could be accessible only under high-temperature conditions. Reactions of M=W/W+ with NO are also barrierless processes in the gas phase and lead to the N-O insertion product NMO, which are 105.4 and 77.4 kcal/mol lower than the reactants for W and W+, respectively.     

The role of the heteroatom (X?=?SiIV, PV, and SVI) on the reactivity of {��-[(H2O)RuIII(��-OH)2RuIII(H2O)][X n+W10O36]}(8?n)? with the O2 molecule

The mechanism of reaction of the di-Ru-substituted polyoxometalate, {??-[(H₂O)Ru^III(??-OH)₂Ru^III(H₂O)][X ⁿ⁺W₁₀O₃₆]}^(8?n)?, I_X, with O₂, i.e. I_X?+?O₂????{??-[(^·O)Ru^IV(??-OH)₂Ru^IV(O^·)][X ⁿ⁺W₁₀O₃₆]}^(8?n)??+?2H₂O, (1), was studied at the B3LYP density functional and self-consistent reaction field IEF-PCM (in aqueous solution) levels of theory. The effect of the nature of heteroatom X (where X?=?Si, P and, S) on the calculated energies and mechanism of the reaction (1) was elucidated. It was shown that the nature of X only slightly affects the reactivity of I_X with O₂, which is a 4-electron oxidation process. The overall reaction (1): (a) proceeds with moderate energy barriers for all studied X??s [the calculated rate-determining barriers are X?=?Si (18.7?kcal/mol)?<?S (20.6?kcal/mol)?<?P (27.2?kcal/mol) in water, and X?=?S (18.7?kcal/mol)?<?P (21.4?kcal/mol)?<?Si (23.1?kcal/mol) in the gas phase] and (b) is exothermic [by X?=?Si [28.7 (22.1) kcal/mol]?>?P [21.4 (9.8) kcal/mol]?>?S [12.3 (5.0) kcal/mol]. The resulting $ \left\{ {\gamma - \left[ {\left( {^{ \cdot } {\text{O}}} \right) {\text{Ru}}^{\text{IV}} \left( {\mu - {\text{OH}}} \right)_{2} {\text{Ru}}^{\text{IV}} \left( {{\text{O}}^{ \cdot } } \right)} \right]\left[ {{\text{X}}^{{{\text{n}} + }} {\text{W}}_{10} {\text{O}}_{36} } \right]} \right\}^{{\left( {8 - {\text{n}}} \right) - }} $ , VI_X, complex was found to have two Ru^IV?=?O^· units, rather than Ru^V?=?O units. The ??reverse?? reaction, i.e., water oxidation by VI_X is an endothermic process and unlikely to occur for X?=?Si and P, while it could occur for X?=?S under specific conditions. The lack of reactivity of VI_X biradical toward the water molecule leads to the formation of the stable [{Ru ₄ ^IV O₄(OH)₂(H₂O)₄}[(??-XW₁₀O₃₆]₂}^m? dimer. This conclusion is consistent with our experimental findings; previously we prepared the $ \left[ {\left\{ {{\text{Ru}}_{4}^{\text{IV}} {\text{O}}_{4} ({\text{OH}})_{2} \left( {{\text{H}}_{ 2} {\text{O}}} \right)_{4} } \right\}} \right[\left( {\gamma - {\text{XW}}_{10} {\text{O}}_{36} } \right]_{2} \}^{{{\text{m}} - }} $ dimers for X?=?Si (m?=?10) [Geletii et al. in Angew Chem Int Ed 47:3896?C3899, 2008 and J Am Chem Soc 131:17360?C17370, 2009] and P (m?=?8) [Besson et al. in Chem Comm 46:2784?C2786, 2010] and showed them to be very stable and efficient catalysts for the oxidation of water to O₂.     

Catalytic adaptive recognition of thiol (SH) and selenol (SeH) groups toward synthesis of functionalized vinyl monomers

An unprecedented sustainable procedure was developed to produce functionalized vinyl monomers H(2)C═C(R)(FG) starting from a mixture of sulfur and selenium compounds as a functional group donor (FG = S or Se). The reaction serves as a model for efficient utilization of natural resources of sulfur feedstock in oil and technological sources of sulfur/selenium. The catalytic system is reported with amazing ability to recognize SH/SeH groups in the mixture and selectively incorporate them into valuable organic products via wastes-free atom-economic reaction with alkynes (HC≡CR). Formation of catalyst active site and the mechanism of the catalytic reaction were revealed by joint experimental and theoretical study. The difference in reactivity of μ(1)- and μ(2)-type chalcogen atoms attached to the metal was established and was shown to play the key role in the action of palladium catalyst. An approach to solve a challenging problem of dynamically changed reaction mixture was demonstrated using adaptive tuning of the catalyst. The origins of the adaptive tuning effect were investigated at molecular level and were found to be governed by the nature of metal-chalcogen bond.     

Thermoluminescence of photoirradiated petroleum luminophores of pyrolytic origin

Photothermoluminescence (PTL) of petroleum luminophores of pyrolytic origin was studied over a wide temperature range (−196 to 250°C). Problems related to the mechanism and stages of photochemical processes in petroleum luminophores are discussed. It was revealed that low-temperature PTL maximums at −165, −108, and −75°C are due to recombination of trapped electrons with radical cations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during the freezing out of the motions of H, O₂, and R^·. High-temperature (relative to the luminophore freezing points) PTL maximums at 52, 105–120, and 130–140°C are due to processes associated with the oxidation of R^·, PAHs, and olefins by ³O₂ and ¹O₂.