Theoretical investigation of the atmospheric chemistry of methyl difluoroacetate: reaction with Cl atoms and fate of alkoxy radical at 298 K

A theoretical study on the mechanism of the reactions of methyl difluoroacetate (MDFA) CF₂HC(O)OCH₃ with Cl atoms is presented. Two conformers relatively close in energy have been identified for MDFA. Geometry optimization and frequency calculations have been performed at the MPWB1K/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory, and energetic information is further refined by calculating the energy of the species using G2(MP2) theory. Transition states (TSs) are searched on the potential energy surface involved during the reaction channels, and each of the TSs is characterized by the presence of only one imaginary frequency. The existence of TSs on the corresponding potential energy surface is ascertained by performing intrinsic reaction coordinate calculation. Our calculations reveal that hydrogen abstraction from the –CH₃ group is thermodynamically and kinetically more facile than that from the –CF₂H group. Theoretically calculated rate constants at 298 K using the canonical transition state theory are found to be in good agreement with the experimentally measured ones. The atmospheric lifetime of CF₂HC(O)OCH₃ was estimated to be 16 years. The atmospheric fate and the main degradation process of alkoxy radical CF₂HC(O)OCH₂O are also discussed for the first time. Our calculation indicates that the fluorine atoms substitution has deactivating effect for the α-ester rearrangement.