High-temperature kinetics of the reaction between chlorine atoms and hydrogen sulfide

Toward an Accurate Black-Box Tool for the Kinetics of Gas-Phase Reactions Involving Barrier-less Elementary Steps

An enhanced computational protocol has been devised for the accurate characterization of gas-phase barrier-less reactions in the framework of the reaction-path (RP) and variable reaction coordinate variational transition-state theory. In particular, the synergistic combination of density functional theory and Monte Carlo sampling to optimize reactive fluxes led to a reliable yet effective computational workflow. A black-box strategy has been developed for selecting the most suited density functional with reference to a high-level one-dimensional reference potential. At the same time, different descriptions of hindered rotations are automatically selected, depending on the corresponding harmonic frequencies along the RP. The performance of the new tool is investigated by means of two prototypical reactions involving different degrees of static and dynamic correlation, namely, H2S + Cl and CH3 + CH3. The remarkable agreement of the computed kinetic parameters with the available experimental data confirms the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach. Together with their intrinsic interest, these results also pave the way toward systematic investigations of gas-phase reactions involving barrier-less elementary steps by a reliable, user-friendly tool, which can be confidently used also by nonspecialists.

State-of-the-Art Quantum Chemistry Meets Variable Reaction Coordinate Transition State Theory to Solve the Puzzling Case of the H2S + Cl System

The atmospheric reaction of H₂S with Cl has been reinvestigated to check if, as previously suggested, only explicit dynamical computations can lead to an accurate evaluation of the reaction rate because of strong recrossing effects and the breakdown of the variational extension of transition state theory. For this reason, the corresponding potential energy surface has been thoroughly investigated, thus leading to an accurate characterization of all stationary points, whose energetics has been computed at the state of the art. To this end, coupled-cluster theory including up to quadruple excitations has been employed, together with the extrapolation to the complete basis set limit and also incorporating core-valence correlation, spin-orbit, and scalar relativistic effects as well as diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections. This highly accurate composite scheme has also been paralleled by less expensive yet promising computational approaches. Moving to kinetics, variational transition state theory and its variable reaction coordinate extension for barrierless steps have been exploited, thus obtaining a reaction rate constant (8.16 × 10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 at 300 K and 1 atm) in remarkable agreement with the experimental counterpart. Therefore, contrary to previous claims, there is no need to invoke any failure of the transition state theory, provided that sufficiently accurate quantum-chemical computations are performed. The investigation of the puzzling case of the H₂S + Cl system allowed us to present a robust approach for disclosing the thermochemistry and kinetics of reactions of atmospheric and astrophysical interest.

Theoretical studies of hydrogen abstraction from H2X and CH3XH (X = O, S) by trichloromethyl radicals

We have theoretically investigated the hydrogen abstraction reactions of H₂O, H₂S, CH₃OH, and CH₃SH by the CCl₃ radical, which is of interest in atmospheric chemistry research. In this study, mechanistic and kinetic analyses for the title reactions have been performed at the W1 and the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level. Standard Gibbs free energies for all reaction channels at the W1 level with ZPE corrections were also calculated. Intrinsic Reaction Coordinate (IRC) calculations were performed to verify the connectivity of all the transition states with the reactants and products. All rate coefficients are computed by conventional transition state theory (CTST) with the zero-curvature tunneling (ZCT) and also Wigner's tunneling (W) correction in the temperature range from 200 K to 2000 K. The rate coefficients for each reaction channel are also evaluated by canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with the small-curvature tunneling correction method (SCT) in the same temperature range. Three-parameter Arrhenius expressions have been obtained by fitting to the computed rate coefficients of all abstraction channels between 200 and 2000 K. The branching ratios for these reactions have been determined. This study provides the first theoretical and kinetic determination of the CCl₃ rate coefficient for reactions with H₂O, H₂S, CH₃OH, and CH₃SH over a large temperature range.