On the importance of prereactive complexes in molecule-radical reactions: hydrogen abstraction from aldehydes by OH

Atmospheric oxidation reactions of imidazole initiated by hydroxyl radicals: kinetics and mechanism of reactions and atmospheric implications

The atmospheric oxidation mechanism of imidazole initiated by hydroxyl radicals is investigated via OH-addition and H-abstraction pathways by quantum chemistry calculations at the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory coupled with reaction kinetics calculations using statistical Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) theory and transition state theory (TST).

A concerted addition mechanism in [Hmim]Br-triggered thiol–ene reactions: a typical “ionic liquid effect” revealed by DFT and experimental studies

The π⁺–π and H-bond interactions between [Hmim]Br and substrates promote a special one-step addition mechanism in thiol–ene reactions.

OH-Initiated Oxidation of Acetylacetone: Implications for Ozone and Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation

Acetylacetone (AcAc) is a common atmospheric oxygenated volatile organic compound due to broad industrial applications, but its atmospheric oxidation mechanism is not fully understood. We investigate the mechanism, kinetics, and atmospheric fate of the OH-initiated oxidation for the enolic and ketonic isomers of AcAc using quantum chemical and kinetic rate calculations. OH addition to enol-AcAc is more favorable than addition to keto-AcAc, with the total rate constant of 1.69 × 10^-13 exp(1935/T) cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 over the temperature range of 200-310 K. For the reaction of the enol-AcAc with OH, the activation energies of H-abstraction are at least 4 kcal mol^-1 higher than those of OH-addition, and the rate constants for OH-addition are by 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than those for H-abstraction. Oxidation of AcAc is predicted to yield significant amounts of acetic acid and methylglyoxal, larger than those are currently recognized. A lifetime of less than a few hours for AcAc is estimated throughout the tropospheric conditions. In addition, we present field measurements in Beijing and Nanjing, China, showing significant concentrations of AcAc in the two urban locations. Our results reveal that the OH-initiated oxidation of AcAc contributes importantly to ozone and SOA formation under polluted environments.

Environmental Processing of Lipids Driven by Aqueous Photochemistry of α-Keto Acids

Sunlight can initiate photochemical reactions of organic molecules though direct photolysis, photosensitization, and indirect processes, often leading to complex radical chemistry that can increase molecular complexity in the environment. α-Keto acids act as photoinitiators for organic species that are not themselves photoactive. Here, we demonstrate this capability through the reaction of two α-keto acids, pyruvic acid and 2-oxooctanoic acid, with a series of fatty acids and fatty alcohols. We show for five different cases that a cross-product between the photoinitiated α-keto acid and non-photoactive species is formed during photolysis in aqueous solution. Fatty acids and alcohols are relatively unreactive species, which suggests that α-keto acids are able to act as radical initiators for many atmospherically relevant molecules found in the sea surface microlayer and on atmospheric aerosol particles.

Full dimensional potential energy surface and low temperature dynamics of the H2CO + OH → HCO + H2O reaction

A new method is proposed to analytically represent the potential energy surface of reactions involving polyatomic molecules capable of accurately describing long-range interactions and saddle points, needed to describe low-temperature collisions. It is based on two terms, a reactive force field term and a many-body term. The reactive force field term accurately describes the fragments, long-range interactions among them and the saddle points for reactions. The many-body term increases the desired accuracy everywhere else. This method has been applied to the OH + H2CO → H2O + HCO reaction, giving a barrier of 27.4 meV. The simulated classical rate constants with this potential are in good agreement with recent experimental results [Ocaña et al., Astrophys. J., 2017, submitted], showing an important increase at temperatures below 100 K. The reaction mechanism is analyzed in detail here, and explains the observed behavior at low energy by the formation of long-lived collision complexes, with roaming trajectories, with a capture observed for very long impact parameters, >100 a.u., determined by the long-range dipole-dipole interaction.

Kinetic and mechanistic study on gas phase reactions of ozone with a series ofcis-3-hexenyl esters

Reaction kinetics of O₃with fourcis-3-hexenyl esters were studied using experimental methods in a flow tube reactor as well as using theoretical methods.

Pressure-dependent kinetics of methyl formate reactions with OH at combustion, atmospheric and interstellar temperatures

Pressure dependence occurs in bimolecular hydrogen abstraction reactions at combustion, atmospheric and interstellar temperatures.

Is the gas-phase OH+H2CO reaction a source of HCO in interstellar cold dark clouds? A kinetic, dynamic and modelling study

Chemical kinetics of neutral-neutral gas-phase reactions at ultralow temperatures is a fascinating research subject with important implications on the chemistry of complex organic molecules in the interstellar medium (T∼10-100K). Scarce kinetic information is currently available for this kind of reactions at T<200 K. In this work we use the CRESU (Cinétique de Réaction en Ecoulement Supersonique Uniforme, which means Reaction Kinetics in a Uniform Supersonic Flow) technique to measure for the first time the rate coefficients (k) of the gas-phase OH+H2CO reaction between 22 and 107 K. k values greatly increase from 2.1×10-11 cm3 s-1 at 107 K to 1.2×10-10 cm3 s-1 at 22 K. This is also confirmed by quasi-classical trajectories (QCT) at collision energies down to 0.1 meV performed using a new full dimension and ab initio potential energy surface, recently developed which generates highly accurate potential and includes long range dipole-dipole interactions. QCT calculations indicate that at low temperatures HCO is the exclusive product for the OH+H2CO reaction. In order to revisit the chemistry of HCO in cold dense clouds, k is reasonably extrapolated from the experimental results at 10K (2.6×10-10 cm3 s-1). The modeled abundances of HCO are in agreement with the observations in cold dark clouds for an evolving time of 105-106 yrs. The different sources of production of HCO are presented and the uncertainties in the chemical networks discussed. This reaction can be expected to be a competitive process in the chemistry of prestellar cores. The present reaction is shown to account for a few percent of the total HCO production rate. Extensions to photodissociation regions and diffuse clouds environments are also commented.

Atmospheric oxidation of halogenated aromatics: comparative analysis of reaction mechanisms and reaction kinetics

Atmospheric transport is the major route for global distribution of semi-volatile compounds such as halogenated aromatics as well as their major exposure route for humans. Their major atmospheric removal process is oxidation by hydroxyl radicals. There is very little information on the reaction mechanism or reaction-path dynamics of atmospheric degradation of halogenated benzenes. Furthermore, the measured reaction rate constants are missing for the range of environmentally relevant temperatures, i.e. 230-330 K. A series of recent theoretical studies have provided those valuable missing information for fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, hexafluorobenzene and hexachlorobenzene. Their comparative analysis has provided additional and more general insight into the mechanism of those important tropospheric degradation processes as well as into the mobility, transport and atmospheric fate of halogenated aromatic systems. It was demonstrated for the first time that the addition of hydroxyl radicals to monohalogenated as well as to perhalogenated benzenes proceeds indirectly, via a prereaction complex and its formation and dynamics have been characterized including the respective transition-state. However, in fluorobenzene and chlorobenzene reactions hydroxyl radical hydrogen is pointing approximately to the center of the aromatic ring while in the case of hexafluorobenzene and hexachlorobenzene, unexpectedly, the oxygen is directed towards the center of the aromatic ring. The reliable rate constants are now available for all environmentally relevant temperatures for the tropospheric oxidation of fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, hexafluorobenzene and hexachlorobenzene while pentachlorophenol, a well-known organic micropollutant, seems to be a major stable product of tropospheric oxidation of hexachlorobenzene. Their calculated tropospheric lifetimes show that fluorobenzene and chlorobenzene are easily removed from the atmosphere and do not have long-range transport potential while hexafluorobenzene seems to be a potential POP chemical and hexachlorobenzene is clearly a typical persistent organic pollutant.

Theoretical insight into OH- and Cl-initiated oxidation of CF3OCH(CF3)2 and CF3OCF2CF2H &fate of CF3OC(X•)(CF3)2 and CF3OCF2CF2X• radicals (X=O, O2)

In this study, the mechanistic and kinetic analysis for reactions of CF₃OCH(CF₃)₂ and CF₃OCF₂CF₂H with OH radicals and Cl atoms have been performed at the CCSD(T)//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Kinetic isotope effects for reactions CF₃OCH(CF₃)₂/CF₃OCD(CF₃)₂ and CF₃OCF₂CF₂H/CF₃OCF₂CF₂D with OH and Cl were estimated so as to provide the theoretical estimation for future laboratory investigation. All rate constants, computed by canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with the small-curvature tunneling correction (SCT), are in reasonable agreement with the limited experimental data. Standard enthalpies of formation for the species were also calculated. Atmospheric lifetime and global warming potentials (GWPs) of the reaction species were estimated, the large lifetimes and GWPs show that the environmental impact of them cannot be ignored. The organic nitrates can be produced by the further oxidation of CF₃OC(•)(CF₃)₂ and CF₃OCF₂CF₂• in the presence of O₂ and NO. The subsequent decomposition pathways of CF₃OC(O•)(CF₃)₂ and CF₃OCF₂CF₂O• radicals were studied in detail. The derived Arrhenius expressions for the rate coefficients over 230–350 K are: k_T(1)= 5.00 × 10⁻²⁴T^3.57 exp(−849.73/T), k_T(2)= 1.79 × 10⁻²⁴T^4.84 exp(−4262.65/T), k_T(3)= 1.94 × 10⁻²⁴T^4.18 exp(−884.26/T), and k_T(4) = 9.44 × 10⁻²⁸T^5.25 exp(−913.45/T) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Reactions of hydroxyl radicals with benzoic acid and benzoate

Density functional theory was used to study the mechanism and kinetics of benzoic acid with hydroxyl radicals in both gas and aqueous phases as well as benzoate with hydroxyl radicals in the aqueous phase at the M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory.

The reaction of methyl peroxy and hydroxyl radicals as a major source of atmospheric methanol

Methyl peroxy, a key radical in tropospheric chemistry, was recently shown to react with the hydroxyl radical at an unexpectedly high rate. Here, the molecular reaction mechanisms are elucidated using high-level quantum chemical methodologies and statistical rate theory. Formation of activated methylhydrotrioxide, followed by dissociation into methoxy and hydroperoxy radicals, is found to be the main reaction pathway, whereas methylhydrotrioxide stabilization and methanol formation (from activated and stabilized methylhydrotrioxide) are viable minor channels. Criegee intermediate formation is found to be negligible. Given the theoretical uncertainties, useful constraints on the yields are provided by atmospheric methanol measurements. Using a global chemistry-transport model, we show that the only explanation for the high observed methanol abundances over remote oceans is the title reaction with an overall methanol yield of ∼30%, consistent with the theoretical estimates given their uncertainties. This makes the title reaction a major methanol source (115 Tg per year), comparable to global terrestrial emissions.

Study on the kinetics and transformation products of salicylic acid in water via ozonation

As salicylic acid is one of widely used pharmaceuticals, its residue has been found in various environmental water systems e.g. wastewater, surface water, treated water and drinking water. It has been reported that salicylic acid can be efficiently removed by advanced oxidation processes, but there are few studies on its transformation products and ozonation mechanisms during ozonation process. The objective of this study is to characterize the transformation products, investigate the degradation mechanisms at different pH, and propose the ozonation pathways of salicylic acid. The results showed that the rate of degradation was about 10 times higher at acidic condition than that at alkaline condition in the first 1 min when 1 mg L(-1) of ozone solution was added into 1 mg L(-1) of salicylic acid solution. It was proposed that ozone direct oxidation mechanism dominates at acidic condition, while indirect OH radical mechanism dominates at alkaline condition. A two stages pseudo-first order reaction was proposed at different pH conditions. Various hydroxylation products, carbonyl compounds and carboxylic acids, such as 2,5-dihydroxylbenzoic acid, 2,3-dihydroxylbenzoic acid, catechol, formaldehyde, glyoxal, acetaldehyde, maleic acid, acetic acid and oxalic acid etc. were identified as ozonation transformation products. In addition, acrylic acid was identified, for the first time, as ozonation transformation products through high resolution liquid chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometer. The information demonstrated in this study will help us to better understand the possible effects of ozonation products on the water quality. The degradation pathways of salicylic acid by ozonation in water sample were proposed. As both O3 and OH radical were important in the reactions, the degradation pathways of salicylic acid by ozonation in water sample were proposed at acidic and basic conditions. To our knowledge, there was no integrated study reported on the ozonation of salicylic acid in water, in terms of transformation products, kinetic, mechanism, as well as degradation pathways.

Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Kinetics of the OH + Propionaldehyde Reaction between 277 and 375 K at Low Pressure

Measurements of the rate constant for the reaction of OH radicals with propionaldehyde as a function of temperature were performed using low-pressure discharge-flow tube techniques coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection of OH radicals. The measured room-temperature rate constant of (1.51 ± 0.22) × 10(-11) cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1) at 4 Torr was generally lower but in reasonable agreement with previous absolute and relative rate studies at higher pressures. Measurements as a function of temperature resulted in an Arrhenius expression of (2.3 ± 0.4) × 10(-11) exp[(-110 ± 50)/T] cm(3) molecules(-1) s(-1) between 277 and 375 K at 4 Torr. The observed temperature dependence at low pressure is in contrast to previous measurements of a negative temperature dependence at higher pressures. Ab initio calculations of the potential energy surface for this reaction suggest that the primary reaction pathway involves the formation of a hydrogen-bonded prereactive complex, which could account for the difference in the observed temperature dependence at lower and higher pressures.

Atmospheric chemistry of ethers, esters, and alcohols on the lifetimes, temperature dependence, and kinetic isotope effect: an example of CF3CX2CX2CX2OX with OX reactions (X = H, D)

Mechanisms and kinetics of the reaction of CF₃CX₂CX₂CX₂OX with OX (X= H, D) radical are investigated on a sound theoretical basis.

Direct conversion of formaldehyde to ethylene glycol via photocatalytic carbon–carbon coupling over bismuth vanadate

Formaldehyde can be directly converted to ethylene glycol and glycolaldehyde via photocatalytic C–C coupling over BiVO₄ under visible light.

Atmospheric chemistry of CF3(CX2)2CH2OH: rate coefficients and temperature dependence of reactions with chlorine atoms and the subsequent pathways of alkyl and alkoxy radicals (X = H, F)

The atmospheric and kinetic properties of CF₃(CX₂)₂CH₂OH (X = H, F) with chlorine atoms were studied by density functional and canonical variational transition state theories in conjunction with the small-curvature tunneling correction.

Theoretical study of the oxidation mechanisms of thiophene initiated by hydroxyl radicals

The mechanisms for the oxidation of thiophene by OH radicals under inert conditions (Ar) have been studied using density functional theory in conjunction with various exchange-correlation functionals. These results were compared with benchmark CBS-QB3 theoretical results. Kinetic rate constants were estimated by means of variational transition state theory (VTST) and the statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory. Effective rate constants were calculated via a steady-state analysis based upon a two-step model reaction mechanism. In line with experimental results, the computed branching ratios indicate that the most kinetically efficient process involves OH addition to a carbon atom adjacent to the sulfur atom. Due to the presence of negative activation energies, pressures larger than 10(4) bar are required to reach the high-pressure limit. Nucleus-independent chemical shift indices and natural bond orbital analysis show that the computed activation energies are dictated by changes in aromaticity and charge-transfer effects due to the delocalization of lone pairs from sulfur to empty π(*) orbitals. Graphical Abstract CBS-QB3 energy profiles for the reaction pathways 1-3 characterizing the oxidation of thiophene by hydroxyl radicals into the related products.

Atmospheric Vinyl Alcohol to Acetaldehyde Tautomerization Revisited

The atmospheric oxidation of vinyl alcohol (VA) produced by photoisomerization of acetaldehyde (AA) is thought to be a source of formic acid (FA). Nevertheless, a recent theoretical study predicted a high rate coefficient k1(298 K) of ≈10(-14) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) for the FA-catalyzed tautomerization reaction 1 of VA back into AA, which suggests that FA buffers its own production from VA. However, the unusually high frequency factor implied by that study prompted us to reinvestigate reaction 1 . On the basis of a high-level ab initio potential energy profile, we first established that transition state theory is applicable, and derived a k1(298 K) of only ≈2 × 10(-20) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), concluding that the reaction is negligible. Instead, we propose and rationalize another important VA sink: its uptake by aqueous aerosol and cloud droplets followed by fast liquid-phase tautomerization to AA; global modeling puts the average lifetime by this sink at a few hours, similar to oxidation by OH.

Theoretical investigation of an atmospherically important reaction between methyl methacrylate and Cl atom: A mechanistic and kinetic approach

A theoretical investigation of the mechanism, kinetics and probable product analysis of the Cl -initiated oxidation reaction of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is presented in this paper. The major degradation pathway of MMA is the Cl -addition to the terminal carbon of the olefinic bond. Beside this, energetic and mechanism of other possible reaction pathways are discussed in detail. In addition, the mechanism for the secondary reactions in presence of O 2 and NO has also been presented. Cl -addition to the double bond takes place via formation of the pre-reactive complex as these reaction channel passes through negative activation barrier. Energetics and thermochemical analysis have been studied at the MP2=Full/6-311++g(d,p) level of theory. The rate constant of the Cl -addition reaction has been calculated using conventional transition state theory (CTST) at 1 atm pressure and 250–350 K temperature range.

Formation of furan along with HO₂ during the OH-initiated oxidation of 2,5-DHF and 2,3-DHF: an experimental and computational study

Experimental characterization of products during OH-initiated oxidation of dihydrofurans (DHF) confirms the formation of furan accompanied by the formation of HO2 to be a significant channel in 2,5-DHF (21 ± 3%), whereas it is absent in 2,3-DHF. Theoretical investigations on the reaction of OH with these molecules are carried out to understand this difference. All possible channels of reaction are studied at M06-2X level with 6-311G* basis set, and the stationary points on the potential energy surface are optimized. The overall rate coefficients calculated using conventional TST with Wigner tunneling correction for 2,5-DHF and 2,3-DHF are 2.25 × 10(-11) and 4.13 × 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), respectively, in the same range as the previously determined experimental values. The branching ratios of different channels were estimated using the computed rate coefficients. The abstraction of H atom, leading to dihydrofuranyl radical, is found to be a significant probability, equally important as the addition of OH to the double bond in the case of 2,5-DHF. However, this probability is very small in the case of 2,3-DHF because the rate coefficient of the addition reaction is more than 10 times that of the abstraction reaction. This explains the conspicuous absence of furan among the products of the reaction of OH with 2,3-DHF. The calculations also indicate that the abstraction reaction, and hence furan formation, may become significant for OH-initiated oxidation of 2,3-DHF at temperatures relevant to combustion.

H2O-involved two-electron pathway for photooxidation of aldehydes on TiO2: an isotope labeling study

Aldehyde pollution has been receiving increasing environmental concern recently. In this study, the photooxidation of aldehydes to carboxylates on the TiO2 surface was studied by an oxygen-isotope-labeling method. The solvent H2O was found to contribute much to the oxygen source of the formed carboxylate, which cannot be explained if the conventional O2-involved free radical chain reaction is the only mechanism for the photocatalytic oxidation of aldehydes. We also observed that, unlike in the TiO2 photocatalytic system, the aldehyde oxidation in homogeneous solutions initiated by single electron oxidant (•)OH and SO4(•-) radicals inserted a small O atom of H2O into the product acids. The detailed experiments, combined with DFT calculation, revealed the existence of a new pathway for the oxidation of aldehyde on TiO2, in which, analogous to oxidation of aldehyde by dehydrogenase, the aldehyde undergoes a hydration first and subsequently is oxidized through a two-electron transfer process. The present study highlights the multielectron characteristic of TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation and can have implications for the oxidation of aldehyde in the environment.

Kinetics and mechanism of gas-phase reaction of CF3OCH2CH3 (HFE-263) with the OH radical — a theoretical study

In the present study, the density functional method with recently developed M06 functionals has been used to study the reaction of CF3OCH2CH3 with the OH radical. All possible hydrogen abstraction and displacement reaction channels have been modeled. The minimum energy path on the respective potential energy surface and energetics were calculated at the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. Two different reaction mechanisms were considered: (i) reactant and product complexes called the complex mechanism and (ii) the direct mechanism (reactant → transition state → product). Tunneling corrections were made using the Eckart unsymmetrical potential. The overall rate constant calculated by the complex mechanism (keff = 1.8 × 10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1) has been found to be in good agreement with the experimentally determined value (1.5 ± 0.25 × 10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1), while the rate constant calculated by the direct mechanism (kD = 7.6 × 10−14 cm3 molecule−1 s−1) is about two times lower than the experimental value. The theoretical studies show that hydrogen atom abstraction from the –CH2– site is the most favorable reaction pathway and the reaction involves prereactive and product complexes before leading to stable product formation.

New insights in atmospheric acid-catalyzed gas phase hydrolysis of formaldehyde: a theoretical study

A two-step mechanism of the gas phase hydrolysis of formaldehyde catalyzed by nitric acid.

Mechanistic and kinetic study on the reactions of coumaric acids with reactive oxygen species: a DFT approach

The mechanism and kinetics of reactions between coumaric acids and a series of reactive oxygen species ((•)OX) was studied through the density functional theory (DFT). H atom abstraction from -OH and -COOH groups and addition to the nonaromatic double bond were the most representative reaction pathways chosen for which free energy barriers and rate constants were calculated within the transition state theory (TST) framework. From these calculations, it was estimated that (•)OH > (•)OCH3 > (•)OOH > (•)OOCH3 is the order of reactivity of (•)OX with any coumaric acid. The highest rate constant was estimated for p-coumaric acid + (•)OH reaction, whereas the rest of the (•)OX species are more reactive with o-coumaric acid. On the basis of the calculated rate constants, H abstraction from a -OH group should be the main mechanism for the reactions involving (•)OCH3, (•)OOH, and (•)OOCH3 radicals. Nevertheless, the addition mechanism, which sometimes is not considered in theoretical studies on reactions of phenolic compounds with electrophilic species, could play a relevant role in the global mechanism of coumaric acid + (•)OH reactions.

Computational study on the kinetics and mechanism of the carbaryl + OH reaction

Carbaryl is released into the atmosphere as a spray drift immediately following the application. In order to evaluate its fate in the atmosphere, a computational study on the kinetics of the OH radical reaction with carbaryl is presented. Different reaction paths are studied at the M05-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level. A complex mechanism involving the formation of a stable reactant complex is proposed and the temperature dependence of the rate coefficients is studied in the 280-650 K temperature range. The principal degradation path is the hydroxyl radical addition to naphthalene, but hydrogen abstractions from the methyl group are identified as a secondary significant path. The rate coefficients, computed using the conventional transition state theory, reproduce quite well the scarce experimental data available.

Theoretical study on the gas phase reaction of propargyl alcohol with hydroxyl radical

The reaction of propargyl alcohol with hydroxyl radical has been studied extensively at CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//MP2/cc-pVTZ level. This is the first time to gain a conclusive insight into the reaction mechanism and kinetics for this important reaction in detail. Two reaction mechanisms were revealed, namely addition/elimination and hydrogen abstraction mechanism. The reaction mechanism confirms that OH addition to C≡C triple bond forms the chemically activated adducts, IM1 (·CHCOHCH2OH) and IM2 (CHOH·CCH2OH), and the hydrogen abstraction pathways (-CH2OH bonded to the carbon atom and alcohol hydrogen) may occur via low barriers. Harmonic model of Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory and variational transition state theory are used to calculate the overall and individual rate constants over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. The calculated rate constants are in good agreement with the experimental data. At atmospheric pressure with Ar as bath gas, IM1 (·CHCOHCH2OH) and IM2 (CHOH·CCH2OH) formed by collisional stabilization are dominant in the low temperature range. The production of CHCCHOH + H2O via hydrogen abstraction becomes dominate at higher temperature. The fraction of IM3 (CH2COHCH2·O) is very significant over the moderate temperature range.