Resonances in Bimolecular Chemical Reactions. Elsevier; 2012. pp. 119-63. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-397009-1.00003-5]

Topological Metamaterials

The topological properties of an object, associated with an integer called the topological invariant, are global features that cannot change continuously but only through abrupt variations, hence granting them intrinsic robustness. Engineered metamaterials (MMs) can be tailored to support highly nontrivial topological properties of their band structure, relative to their electronic, electromagnetic, acoustic and mechanical response, representing one of the major breakthroughs in physics over the past decade. Here, we review the foundations and the latest advances of topological photonic and phononic MMs, whose nontrivial wave interactions have become of great interest to a broad range of science disciplines, such as classical and quantum chemistry. We first introduce the basic concepts, including the notion of topological charge and geometric phase. We then discuss the topology of natural electronic materials, before reviewing their photonic/phononic topological MM analogues, including 2D topological MMs with and without time-reversal symmetry, Floquet topological insulators, 3D, higher-order, non-Hermitian and nonlinear topological MMs. We also discuss the topological aspects of scattering anomalies, chemical reactions and polaritons. This work aims at connecting the recent advances of topological concepts throughout a broad range of scientific areas and it highlights opportunities offered by topological MMs for the chemistry community and beyond.

Thermal Decomposition of Potential Ester Biofuels. Part I: Methyl Acetate and Methyl Butanoate

Two methyl esters were examined as models for the pyrolysis of biofuels. Dilute samples (0.06-0.13%) of methyl acetate (CH₃COOCH₃) and methyl butanoate (CH₃CH₂CH₂COOCH₃) were entrained in (He, Ar) carrier gas and decomposed in a set of flash-pyrolysis microreactors. The pyrolysis products resulting from the methyl esters were detected and identified by vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. Complementary product identification was provided by matrix infrared absorption spectroscopy. Pyrolysis pressures in the pulsed microreactor were about 20 Torr and residence times through the reactors were roughly 25-150 μs. Reactor temperatures of 300-1600 K were explored. Decomposition of CH₃COOCH₃ commences at 1000 K, and the initial products are (CH₂═C═O and CH₃OH). As the microreactor is heated to 1300 K, a mixture of CH₂═C═O and CH₃OH, CH₃, CH₂═O, H, CO, and CO₂ appears. The thermal cracking of CH₃CH₂CH₂COOCH₃ begins at 800 K with the formation of CH₃CH₂CH═C═O and CH₃OH. By 1300 K, the pyrolysis of methyl butanoate yields a complex mixture of CH₃CH₂CH═C═O, CH₃OH, CH₃, CH₂═O, CO, CO₂, CH₃CH═CH₂, CH₂CHCH₂, CH₂═C═CH₂, HCCCH₂, CH₂═C═C═O, CH₂═CH₂, HC≡CH, and CH₂═C═O. On the basis of the results from the thermal cracking of methyl acetate and methyl butanoate, we predict several important decomposition channels for the pyrolysis of fatty acid methyl esters, R-CH₂-COOCH₃. The lowest-energy fragmentation will be a 4-center elimination of methanol to form the ketene RCH═C═O. At higher temperatures, concerted fragmentation to radicals will ensue to produce a mixture of species: (RCH₂ + CO₂ + CH₃) and (RCH₂ + CO + CH₂═O + H). Thermal cracking of the β C-C bond of the methyl ester will generate the radicals (R and H) as well as CH₂═C═O + CH₂═O. The thermochemistry of methyl acetate and its fragmentation products were obtained via the Active Thermochemical Tables (ATcT) approach, resulting in Δ_fH₂₉₈(CH₃COOCH₃) = -98.7 ± 0.2 kcal mol^-1, Δ_fH₂₉₈(CH₃CO₂) = -45.7 ± 0.3 kcal mol^-1, and Δ_fH₂₉₈(COOCH₃) = -38.3 ± 0.4 kcal mol^-1.

Quantum mechanical calculations of state-to-state cross sections and rate constants for the F + DCl → Cl + DF reaction

We present accurate state-to-state quantum wave packet calculations of integral cross sections and rate constants for the title reaction. Calculations are carried out on the best available ground 1(2)A' global adiabatic potential energy surface of Deskevich et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 124, 224303 (2006)]. Converged state-to-state reaction cross sections have been calculated for collision energies up to 0.5 eV and different initial rotational and vibrational excitations, DCl(v = 0, j = 0 - 1; v = 1, j = 0). Also, initial-state resolved rate constants of the title reaction have been calculated in a temperature range of 100-400 K. It is found that the initial rotational excitation of the DCl molecule does not enhance reactivity, in contract to the reaction with the isotopologue HCl in which initial rotational excitation produces an important enhancement. These differences between the isotopologue reactions are analyzed in detail and attributed to the presence of resonances for HCl(v = 0, j), absent in the case of DCl(v = 0, j). For vibrational excited DCl(v = 1, j), however, the reaction cross section increases noticeably, what is also explained by another resonance.

Quantum interferences in the photodissociation of Cl2(B) in superfluid helium nanodroplets (4He)N

The origin of quantum interferences theoretically found in the photodissociation of chlorine in superfluid ⁴He nanodroplets was investigated in detail.

Is the simplest chemical reaction really so simple?

Modern computational methods have become so powerful for predicting the outcome for the H + H2 → H2 + H bimolecular exchange reaction that it might seem further experiments are not needed. Nevertheless, experiments have led the way to cause theorists to look more deeply into this simplest of all chemical reactions. The findings are less simple.

Resonances in the Ne + H2(+) → NeH(+) + H proton-transfer reaction

We investigated the oscillations found in the integral cross section of the title reaction, which are particularly evident for Ne + H2(+)(v0 = 2,j0 = 1) [essentially isoenergetic with NeH(+)(v' = 0,j' = 0) + H] at low collision energy (Ecol < 0.30 eV). We employed mainly an exact time-independent (TI) quantum dynamics method and used the best potential energy surface available. From analysis of TI initial state selected to all integral cross sections, state-to-state integral cross sections, and the corresponding differential cross sections (DCSs), we showed that the oscillations correspond to resonances. They arise from the influence of the global [Ne-H-H](+) (collinear) minimum on dynamics and probably correspond to Feshbach resonances. Besides, the forward-backward peaking DCS (which oscillates with Ecol) behavior observed could be a signature for this type of resonances. Finally, as most data on resonances in bimolecular reactions correspond to neutral systems, we hope that the present results will encourage experimentalists to re-examine this benchmark system.