Predicting the preexponential temperature dependence of bimolecular metathesis reaction rate coefficients using transition state theory

The thermochemical kinetics formulation of conventional transition state theory for bimolecular reactions allows for a separate contribution from each degree of freedom (translation, rotation, vibration, etc.) in the activated complex to the entropy and heat capacity of activation, and thus to the preexponential terms in the Arrhenius rate expression, k = ATⁿ exp(?B/T). The number of vibrations and (possibly hindred) internal rotations varies depending on the nature of the reaction: atom + diatom, diatom + linear polyatom, etc. The temperature exponent n can be evaluated explicitly for each type of reaction if the harmonic oscillator-rigid free rotor approximation is valid for the reagents and activated complex and if the contribution from tunneling is small. Various reaction types are examined successively, and n is evaluated for each case. The possible contributions of other factors (vibrational anharmonicity, hindered internal rotation, tunneling, “looseness” of activated complex) to the value of n are also considered.