Experimental Evidence of Dioxole Unimolecular Decay Pathway for Isoprene-Derived Criegee Intermediates

The role of solar photolysis in the atmospheric removal of methacrolein oxide and the methacrolein oxide-water van-der Waals complex in pristine environments

Biogenic hydrocarbons are emitted into the Earth's atmosphere by terrestrial vegetation as by-products of photosynthesis. Isoprene is one such hydrocarbon and is the second most abundant volatile organic compound emitted into the atmosphere (after methane). Reaction with ozone represents an important atmospheric sink for isoprene removal, forming carbonyl oxides (Criegee intermediates) with extended conjugation. In this manuscript, we argue that the extended conjugation of these Criegee intermediates enables electronic excitation of these compounds, on timescales that are competitive with their slow unimolecular decay and bimolecular chemistry. We show that the complexation of methacrolein oxide with water enhances the absorption cross section of the otherwise dark S1 state, potentially revealing a new avenue for forming lower volatility compounds via tropospherically relevant photochemistry.

Computational Modeling of the Conformation-Dependent Atmospheric Reactivity of Criegee Intermediates

The impacts of Criegee intermediates (CIs) on atmospheric chemistry depend significantly on the CI conformation. In this Perspective, I highlight examples of how electronic structure and statistical rate theory calculations, in conjunction with experiment, have revealed conformation-dependent details of both CI ground-state reactivity and electronic excitation. Calculations using single-reference electronic structure methods and conventional transition state theory have predicted that CIs with syn-alkyl or syn-vinyl substituents isomerize rapidly to vinyl hydroperoxides (VHPs) or dioxoles, both of which can decompose rapidly under atmospheric conditions. Ongoing computational research on hydroxyl radical (OH) roaming initiated by VHP dissociation requires the application of multireference electronic structure methods and variational transition state theory. CIs that lack both syn-alkyl and syn-vinyl substituents undergo either bimolecular reaction or π* ← π electronic excitation in the atmosphere. Accurate predictions of CI ultraviolet-visible spectra require multireference calculations with large active spaces and at least a second-order perturbative treatment of dynamic electron correlation. The extent to which electronic spectra can be diagnostic of the presence of specific CI conformers varies significantly with CI chemical identity.

How Do the Position and Number of Methyl Substituents Affect the Photochemical Process of Criegee Intermediate? Trajectory Surface-Hopping Dynamics of Four-Carbon CIs

Electronic-structure calculations combined with nonadiabatic trajectory surface-hopping (TSH) dynamic simulations were carried out on two alkenyl-substituted Criegee intermediates (CIs), i.e., propenyl-substituted CI (PCI) and 1-methyl-propenyl substituted CI (MPCI), in order to investigate the influence of the position and number of substituents on the photochemical process of CI in S1 states. It is found that they play critical roles in the reactivity, dominant product channel, and mechanism of the CIs. More specifically, introducing a methyl group on either C1 (α-C) or C3 (γ-C) position of a vinyl-substituted CI (VCI) skeleton facilitates the rotation of the C1═O1 bond and leads to the formation of a three-membered dioxirane ring; meanwhile, it evidently enhances the reactively of the S1-state molecule. Meanwhile, methyl substitution on the vinyl moiety [i.e., C2 (β-C) and C3 (γ-C) positions] is beneficial for the rotation of the C2═C3 bond and thus facilitates the formation of the five-membered 1,2-dioxole ring, and the substitution on C2 site decreases the reactivity. The cosubstitution of C2 and C3 atoms by methyl groups well balances the features of VCI in the sense of high reactivity, consistently predominant channel, and possible dioxole side-product. The findings here not only deepen the knowledge on the photochemical processes of the CI but also inspire the rethinking of the "old" concept of substitution effect.

Oxepin Derivatives Formation from Gas-Phase Catechol Ozonolysis

Quantum chemical calculations are performed to explore all of the possible pathways for primary ozonide (POZ) formation from gas-phase ozonolysis of catechol. Canonical transition state theory has been used to calculate the rate coefficients of individual steps for the formation of POZ. The calculated rate coefficients for 1,3-cycloaddition of ozone at the (i) unsaturated C(OH)═C(OH) bond and (ii) CH═C(OH) of catechol, respectively, are in good agreement with the experimental rate constant. In general, subsequent decomposition of POZ leads to well-known Criegee Intermediates. This work reveals a parallel pathway by which the endo-addition of ozone at CH═C(OH) of catechol proceeds through oxepin derivatives along with the paths leading to Criegee Intermediates and peroxy acids. The 7-membered heterocyclic oxepin derivatives have lower energies than Criegee Intermediates but similar relative energies with peroxy acids.

Roaming in the Unimolecular Decay of syn-Methyl-Substituted Criegee Intermediates

Alkene ozonolysis generates transient carbonyl oxide species, known as Criegee intermediates, which are a significant nonphotolytic source of OH radicals in the troposphere. This study demonstrates that unimolecular decay of syn-methyl-substituted Criegee intermediates proceeds via 1,4 H atom transfer to vinyl hydroperoxides, resulting in OH fission to O-O products or, alternatively, OH roaming to hydroxycarbonyl products. Newly generated Criegee intermediates are shown to yield hydroxycarbonyls with sufficient internal excitation to dissociate via C-C fission to acyl and hydroxymethyl (CH2OH) radicals. The stabilized Criegee intermediates and unimolecular products are rapidly cooled in a pulsed supersonic expansion for photoionization detection with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. CH2OH products are identified by 2 + 1 resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization via the 3pz Rydberg state upon unimolecular decay of CH3CHOO, (CH3)2COO, (CH3)(CH3CH2)COO, and (CH3)(CH2═CH)COO (methyl vinyl ketone oxide). The stabilized Criegee intermediates are separately detected using 10.5 eV photoionization. This study provides the first experimental evidence of roaming in the unimolecular decay of isoprene-derived methyl vinyl ketone oxide and extends earlier studies that reported stabilized hydroxycarbonyl products.

A five-carbon unsaturated Criegee intermediate: synthesis, spectroscopic identification, and theoretical study of 3-penten-2-one oxide

Biogenic alkenes, such as isoprene and α-pinene, are the predominant source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the atmosphere. Atmospheric processing of alkenes via reaction with ozone leads to formation of zwitterionic reactive intermediates with a carbonyl oxide functional group, known as Criegee intermediates (CIs). CIs are known to exhibit a strong absorption (π* ← π) in the near ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis) region due to the carbonyl oxide moiety. This study focuses on the laboratory identification of a five-carbon CI with an unsaturated substituent, 3-penten-2-one oxide, which can be produced upon atmospheric ozonolysis of substituted isoprenes. 3-Penten-2-one oxide is generated in the laboratory by photolysis of a newly synthesized precursor, (Z)-2,4-diiodopent-2-ene, in the presence of oxygen. The electronic spectrum of 3-penten-2-one oxide was recorded by UV-vis induced depletion of the VUV photoionization signal on the parent m/z 100 mass channel using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The resultant electronic spectrum is broad and unstructured with peak absorption at ca. 375 nm. To complement the experimental findings, electronic structure calculations are performed at the CASPT2(12,10)/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The experimental spectrum shows good agreement with the calculated electronic spectrum and vertical excitation energy obtained for the lowest energy conformer of 3-penten-2-one oxide. In addition, OH radical products resulting from unimolecular decay of energized 3-penten-2-oxide CIs are detected by UV laser-induced fluorescence. Finally, the experimental electronic spectrum is compared with that of a four-carbon, isoprene-derived CI, methyl vinyl ketone oxide, to understand the effects of an additional methyl group on the associated electronic properties.

Master Equation Studies of the Unimolecular Decay of Thermalized Methacrolein Oxide: The Impact of Atmospheric Conditions

Master equation simulations of the unimolecular reaction dynamics of the Criegee intermediate methacrolein oxide (MACR oxide) have been performed under a variety of temperature and pressure conditions. These simulations provide insight into how the unimolecular kinetics vary across temperatures spanning the range 288-320 K. This work has incorporated a new potential energy surface and includes the anti-to-syn and cis-to-trans conformational dynamics of MACR oxide, as well as the unimolecular reactions to form dioxirane and dioxole species. The competition between the unimolecular reactivity of MACR oxide and previously documented bimolecular reactivity of MACR oxide with water vapor is explored, focusing on how this competition is affected by changes in atmospheric conditions. The impact on the role of MACR oxide as an atmospheric oxidant of SO₂ is noted.

Electronic Spectroscopy and Dissociation Dynamics of Vinyl-Substituted Criegee Intermediates: 2-Butenal Oxide and Comparison with Methyl Vinyl Ketone Oxide and Methacrolein Oxide Isomers

The 2-butenal oxide Criegee intermediate [(CH3CH═CH)CHOO], an isomer of the four-carbon unsaturated Criegee intermediates derived from isoprene ozonolysis, is characterized on its first π* ← π electronic transition and by the resultant dissociation dynamics to O (1D) + 2-butenal [(CH3CH═CH)CHO] products. The electronic spectrum of 2-butenal oxide under jet-cooled conditions is observed to be broad and unstructured with peak absorption at 373 nm, spanning to half maxima at 320 and 420 nm, and in good accord with the computed vertical excitation energies and absorption spectra obtained for its lowest energy conformers. The distribution of total kinetic energy released to products is ascertained through velocity map imaging of the O (1D) products. About half of the available energy, deduced from the theoretically computed asymptotic energy, is accommodated as internal excitation of the 2-butenal fragment. A reduced impulsive model is introduced to interpret the photodissociation dynamics, which accounts for the geometric changes between 2-butenal oxide and the 2-butenal fragment, and vibrational activation of associated modes in the 2-butenal product. Application of the reduced impulsive model to the photodissociation of isomeric methyl vinyl ketone oxide reveals greater internal activation of the methyl vinyl ketone product arising from methyl internal rotation and rock, which is distinctly different from the dissociation dynamics of 2-butenal oxide or methacrolein oxide.

Electronic Absorption Spectroscopy and Photochemistry of Criegee Intermediates

Interest in Criegee intermediates (CIs), often termed carbonyl oxides, and their role in tropospheric chemistry has grown massively since the demonstration of laboratory-based routes to their formation and characterization in the gas phase. This article reviews current knowledge regarding the electronic spectroscopy of atmospherically relevant CIs like CH₂ OO, CH₃ CHOO, (CH₃ )₂ COO and larger CIs like methyl vinyl ketone oxide and methacrolein oxide that are formed in the ozonolysis of isoprene, and of selected conjugated carbene-derived CIs of interest in the synthetic chemistry community. Of the aforementioned atmospherically relevant CIs, all except CH₂ OO and (CH₃ )₂ COO exist in different conformers which, under tropospheric conditions, can display strikingly different thermal loss rates via unimolecular and bimolecular processes. Calculated photolysis rates based on their absorption properties suggest that solar photolysis will rarely be a significant contributor to the total loss rate for any CI under tropospheric conditions. Nonetheless, there is ever-growing interest in the absorption cross sections and primary photochemistry of CIs following excitation to the strongly absorbing ¹ ππ* state, and how this varies with CI, with conformer and with excitation wavelength. The later part of this review surveys the photochemical data reported to date, including a range of studies that demonstrate prompt photo-induced fission of the terminal O-O bond, and speculates about possible alternate decay processes that could occur following non-adiabatic coupling to, and dissociation from, highly internally excited levels of the electronic ground state of a CI.

The photoisomerization mechanism of methacrolein oxide (MACR-OO): the cyclic dioxole formation pathway revealed

Methacrolein oxide (MACR-OO), the isopropenyl substituted Criegee intermediate (CI), is one product of isoprene ozonolysis. In this work, we report MACR-OO's photo-isomerization paths with electronic structure calculation at the CASSCF and MS-CASPT2 levels and trajectory surface-hopping (TSH) nonadiabatic dynamics simulation at the CASSCF level. Our calculated results show that the ring-closure is the dominant photo-induced unimolecular isomerization of MACR-OO in the S₁ state. In addition, a new photo-induced ring-closure to heterocyclopentane dioxole in syn_syn-MACR-OO is found. The findings of MACR-OO are expected to deepen the understanding of the substituted CIs and their photochemistry.

Absolute photodissociation cross sections of thermalized methyl vinyl ketone oxide and methacrolein oxide

Methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVKO) and methacrolein oxide (MACRO) are resonance-stabilized Criegee intermediates which are formed in the ozonolysis reaction of isoprene, the most abundant unsaturated hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. The absolute photodissociation cross sections of MVKO and MACRO were determined by measuring their laser depletion fraction at 352 nm, which was deduced from their time-resolved UV-visible absorption spectra. After calibrating the 352 nm laser fluence with the photodissociation of NO₂, for which the absorption cross section and photodissociation quantum yield are well known, the photodissociation cross sections of thermalized (299 K) MVKO and MACRO at 352 nm were determined to be (3.02 ± 0.60) × 10^-17 cm² and (1.53 ± 0.29) × 10^-17 cm², respectively. Using their reported spectra and photodissociation quantum yields, their peak absorption cross sections were deduced to be (3.70 ± 0.74) × 10^-17 cm² (at 371 nm, MVKO) and (3.04 ± 0.58) × 10^-17 cm² (at 397 nm, MACRO). These values agree fairly with our theoretical predictions and are substantially larger than those of smaller, alkyl-substituted Criegee intermediates (CH₂OO, syn-CH₃CHOO, (CH₃)₂COO), revealing the effect of extended conjugation. With their cross sections, we also quantified the synthesis yields of MVKO and MACRO in the present experiment to be 0.22 ± 0.10 (at 299 K and 30-700 torr) and 0.043 ± 0.019 (at 299 K and 500 torr), respectively, relative to their photolyzed precursors. The lower yield of MACRO can be related to the high endothermicity of its formation channel.

Rapid Allylic 1,6 H-Atom Transfer in an Unsaturated Criegee Intermediate

A novel allylic 1,6 hydrogen-atom-transfer mechanism is established through infrared activation of the 2-butenal oxide Criegee intermediate, resulting in very rapid unimolecular decay to hydroxyl (OH) radical products. A new precursor, Z/E-1,3-diiodobut-1-ene, is synthesized and photolyzed in the presence of oxygen to generate a new four-carbon Criegee intermediate with extended conjugation across the vinyl and carbonyl oxide groups that facilitates rapid allylic 1,6 H-atom transfer. A low-energy reaction pathway involving isomerization of 2-butenal oxide from a lower-energy (tZZ) conformer to a higher-energy (cZZ) conformer followed by 1,6 hydrogen transfer via a seven-membered ring transition state is predicted theoretically and shown experimentally to yield OH products. The low-lying (tZZ) conformer of 2-butenal oxide is identified based on computed anharmonic frequencies and intensities of its conformers. Experimental IR action spectra recorded in the fundamental CH stretch region with OH product detection by UV laser-induced fluorescence reveal a distinctive IR transition of the low-lying (tZZ) conformer at 2996 cm-1 that results in rapid unimolecular decay to OH products. Statistical RRKM calculations involving a combination of conformational isomerization and unimolecular decay via 1,6 H-transfer yield an effective decay rate keff(E) on the order of 108 s-1 at ca. 3000 cm-1 in good accord with the experiment. Unimolecular decay proceeds with significant enhancement due to quantum mechanical tunneling. A rapid thermal decay rate of ca. 106 s-1 is predicted by master-equation modeling of 2-butenal oxide at 298 K, 1 bar. This novel unimolecular decay pathway is expected to increase the nonphotolytic production of OH radicals upon alkene ozonolysis in the troposphere.

Large Pressure Effects Caused by Internal Rotation in the s-cis-syn-Acrolein Stabilized Criegee Intermediate at Tropospheric Temperature and Pressure

Criegee intermediates are important atmospheric oxidants, and quantitative kinetics for stabilized Criegee intermediates are key parameters for atmospheric modeling but are still limited. Here we report barriers and rate constants for unimolecular reactions of s-cis-syn-acrolein oxide (scsAO), in which the vinyl group makes it a prototype for Criegee intermediates produced in the ozonolysis of isoprene. We find that the MN15-L and M06-2X density functionals have CCSD(T)/CBS accuracy for the unimolecular cyclization and stereoisomerization of scsAO. We calculated high-pressure-limit rate constants by the dual-level strategy that combines (a) high-level wave function-based conventional transition-state theory (which includes coupled-cluster calculations with quasiperturbative inclusion of quadruple excitations because of the strongly multiconfigurational character of the electronic wave function) and (b) canonical variational transition-state theory with small-curvature tunneling based on a validated density functional. We calculated pressure-dependent rate constants both by system-specific quantum Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel theory and by solving the master equation. We report rate constants for unimolecular reactions of scsAO over the full range of atmospheric temperature and pressure. We found that the unimolecular reaction rates of this larger-than-previously studied Criegee intermediate depend significantly on pressure. Particularly, we found that falloff effects decrease the effective unimolecular cyclization rate constant of scsAO by about a factor of 3, but the unimolecular reaction is still the dominant atmospheric sink for scsAO at low altitudes. The large falloff caused by the inclusion of the stereoisomerization channel in the master equation calculations has broad implications for mechanistic analysis of reactions with competitive internal rotations that can produce stable rotamers.

Formation reaction mechanism and infrared spectra of anti-trans-methacrolein oxide and its associated precursor and adduct radicals

Methacrolein oxide (MACRO) is an important carbonyl oxide produced in ozonolysis of isoprene, the most abundantly-emitted non-methane hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. We employed a step-scan Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer to investigate the source reaction of MACRO in laboratories. Upon UV irradiation of precursor CH2IC(CH3)CHI (1), the CH2C(CH3)CHI radical (2) was detected, confirming the fission of the allylic C‒I bond rather than the vinylic C‒I bond. Upon UV irradiation of (1) and O2 near 21 Torr, anti-trans-MACRO (3a) was observed to have an intense OO-stretching band near 917 cm-1, much greater than those of syn-CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO, supporting a stronger O‒O bond in MACRO because of resonance stabilization. At increased pressure (86‒346 Torr), both reaction adducts CH2C(CH3)CHIOO (4) and (CHI)C(CH3)CH2OO (5) radicals were observed, indicating that O2 can add to either carbon of the delocalized propenyl radical moiety of (2). The yield of MACRO is significantly smaller than other carbonyl oxides.

Modeling the Conformer-Dependent Electronic Absorption Spectra and Photolysis Rates of Methyl Vinyl Ketone Oxide and Methacrolein Oxide

Criegee intermediates are important atmospheric oxidants, formed via the reaction of ozone with volatile alkenes emitted into the troposphere. Small Criegee intermediates (e.g., CH₂OO and CH₃CHOO) are highly reactive, and their removal via unimolecular decay or bimolecular chemistry dominates their atmospheric lifetimes. As the molecular complexity of Criegee intermediates increases, their electronic absorption spectra show a bathochromic shift within the solar spectrum relevant to the troposphere. In these cases, solar photolysis may become a competitive contributor to their atmospheric removal. In this article, we report the conformer-dependent simulated electronic absorption spectra of two four-carbon-centered Criegee intermediates, methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVK-oxide) and methacrolein oxide (MACR-oxide). Both MVK-oxide and MACR-oxide contain four low-energy conformers, which are convoluted in the experimentally measured spectra. Here, we deconvolute each conformer and estimate contributions from each of the four conformers to the experimentally measured spectra. We also estimate the photolysis rates and predict that solar photolysis should be a more competitive removal process for MVK-oxide and MACR-oxide (cf. CH₂OO and CH₃CHOO).

Unimolecular and water reactions of oxygenated and unsaturated Criegee intermediates under atmospheric conditions

Ozonolysis of unsaturated hydrocarbons (VOCs) is one of the main oxidation processes in the atmosphere. The stabilized Criegee intermediates (SCI) formed are highly reactive oxygenated species that potentially influence the...

Chemistry of Functionalized Reactive Organic Intermediates in the Earth's Atmosphere: Impact, Challenges, and Progress

The gas-phase oxidation of organic compounds is an important chemical process in the Earth's atmosphere. It governs oxidant levels and controls the production of key secondary pollutants, and hence has major implications for air quality and climate. Organic oxidation is largely controlled by the chemistry of a few reactive intermediates, namely, alkyl (R) radicals, alkoxy (RO) radicals, peroxy (RO₂) radicals, and carbonyl oxides (R₁R₂COO), which may undergo a number of unimolecular and bimolecular reactions. Our understanding of these intermediates, and the reaction pathways available to them, is based largely on studies of unfunctionalized intermediates, formed in the first steps of hydrocarbon oxidation. However, it has become increasingly clear that intermediates with functional groups, which are generally formed later in the oxidation process, can exhibit fundamentally different reactivity than unfunctionalized ones. In this Perspective, we explore the unique chemistry available to functionalized organic intermediates in the Earth's atmosphere. After a brief review of the canonical chemistry available to unfunctionalized intermediates, we discuss how the addition of functional groups can introduce new reactions, either by changing the energetics or kinetics of a given reaction or by opening up new chemical pathways. We then provide examples of atmospheric reaction classes that are available only to functionalized intermediates. Some of these, such as unimolecular H-shift reactions of RO₂ radicals, have been elucidated only relatively recently, and can have important impacts on atmospheric chemistry (e.g., on radical cycling or organic aerosol formation); it seems likely that other, as-yet undiscovered reactions of (multi)functional intermediates may also exist. We discuss the challenges associated with the study of the chemistry of such intermediates and review novel experimental and theoretical approaches that have recently provided (or hold promise for providing) new insights into their atmospheric chemistry. The continued use and development of such techniques and the close collaboration between experimentalists and theoreticians are necessary for a complete, detailed understanding of the chemistry of functionalized intermediates and their impact on major atmospheric chemical processes.

Photodissociation dynamics of methyl vinyl ketone oxide: A four-carbon unsaturated Criegee intermediate from isoprene ozonolysis

The electronic spectrum of methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVK-oxide), a four-carbon Criegee intermediate derived from isoprene ozonolysis, is examined on its second π* ← π transition, involving primarily the vinyl group, at UV wavelengths (λ) below 300 nm. A broad and unstructured spectrum is obtained by a UV-induced ground state depletion method with photoionization detection on the parent mass (m/z 86). Electronic excitation of MVK-oxide results in dissociation to O (¹D) products that are characterized using velocity map imaging. Electronic excitation of MVK-oxide on the first π* ← π transition associated primarily with the carbonyl oxide group at λ > 300 nm results in a prompt dissociation and yields broad total kinetic energy release (TKER) and anisotropic angular distributions for the O (¹D) + methyl vinyl ketone products. By contrast, electronic excitation at λ ≤ 300 nm results in bimodal TKER and angular distributions, indicating two distinct dissociation pathways to O (¹D) products. One pathway is analogous to that at λ > 300 nm, while the second pathway results in very low TKER and isotropic angular distributions indicative of internal conversion to the ground electronic state and statistical unimolecular dissociation.

Dynamics of Reaction CH3CHI + O2 Investigated via Infrared Emission of Products CO, CO2, and OH

The reaction CH₃CHI + O₂ has been commonly employed in laboratories to produce a methyl-substituted Criegee intermediate CH₃CHOO, but the detailed dynamics of this reaction remain unexplored. We carried out this reaction by irradiating a flowing mixture of CH₃CHI₂ (∼70 mTorr) and O₂ (∼4 and 8 Torr) at 308 or 248 nm and observed infrared emission of the products with a step-scan Fourier-transform spectrometer. Upon irradiation at 248 nm with O₂ ∼4 Torr, a Boltzmann distribution of CO (v ≤ 4, J ≤ 25) with average vibrational energy (12 ± 2) kJ mol^-1 and of OH (v = 1, J ≤ 5.5) were observed and assigned to be produced from the decomposition of CH₃C(O)OH* to form CO + CH₃OH and OH + CH₃CO, respectively. The observed broadband emission of CO₂ was simulated with two vibrational distributions of average energies (42 ± 3) and (114 ± 6) kJ mol^-1 and assigned to be produced from the decomposition of CH₃C(O)OH* and (methyl dioxirane)*, respectively. The results upon irradiation of the sample at 308 nm are similar, likely indicating a small fraction of energy partition into these products and rapid thermalization of CH₃CHI*. Compared with reaction CH₂I + O₂, the title reaction yielded products with much less internal excitation, consistent with the expectation that these observed products receive much less fraction of available energy upon fragmentation when an additional methyl moiety was present in the parent. The large-v component of CO observed in experiments of CH₂I + O₂ at 248 nm, produced from secondary reaction HCO + O₂, was absent in this work because the corresponding secondary reaction CH₃CO + O₂ in decomposition of CH₃CHOO* produces α-lactone + OH or H₂CO + CO + OH.

Substituent Effect in the Reactions between Criegee Intermediates and 3-Aminopropanol

Via intramolecular H atom transfer, 3-aminopropanol is more reactive toward Criegee intermediates, in comparison with amines or alcohols. Here we accessed the substituent effect of Criegee intermediates in their reactions with 3-aminopropanol. Through real-time monitoring the concentrations of two Criegee intermediates with their strong UV absorption at 340 nm, the experimental rate coefficients at 298 K (100-300 Torr) were determined to be (1.52 ± 0.08) × 10^-11 and (1.44 ± 0.22) × 10^-13 cm³ s^-1 for the reactions of 3-aminopropanol with (CH₃)₂COO (acetone oxide) and CH₂CHC(CH₃)OO (methyl vinyl ketone oxide), respectively. Compared to our previous experimental value for the reaction with syn-CH₃CHOO, (1.24 ± 0.13) × 10^-11 cm³ s^-1, we can see that the methyl substitution at the anti position has little effect on the reactivity while the vinyl substitution causes a drastic decrease in the reactivity. Our theoretical calculations based on CCSD(T)-F12 energies reproduce this 2-order-of-magnitude decrease in the rate coefficient caused by the vinyl substitution. Using the activation strain model, we found that the interaction of Criegee intermediates with 3-aminopropanol is weaker for the case of vinyl substitution. This effect can be further rationalized by the delocalization of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital for the vinyl-substituted Criegee intermediates. These results would help us better estimate the impact of similar reactions like the reactions of Criegee intermediates with water vapor, some of which could be difficult to measure experimentally but can be important in the atmosphere. We also found that the B2PLYP-D3BJ/aug-cc-pVTZ calculation can reproduce the CCSD(T)-F12 reaction barrier energies within ca. 1 kcal mol^-1, indicating that the use of the B2PLYP-D3BJ method is promising for future predictions of the reactions of larger Criegee intermediates.

Functionalized Hydroperoxide Formation from the Reaction of Methacrolein-Oxide, an Isoprene-Derived Criegee Intermediate, with Formic Acid: Experiment and Theory

Methacrolein oxide (MACR-oxide) is a four-carbon, resonance-stabilized Criegee intermediate produced from isoprene ozonolysis, yet its reactivity is not well understood. This study identifies the functionalized hydroperoxide species, 1-hydroperoxy-2-methylallyl formate (HPMAF), generated from the reaction of MACR-oxide with formic acid using multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry (MPIMS, 298 K = 25 °C, 10 torr = 13.3 hPa). Electronic structure calculations indicate the reaction proceeds via an energetically favorable 1,4-addition mechanism. The formation of HPMAF is observed by the rapid appearance of a fragment ion at m/z 99, consistent with the proposed mechanism and characteristic loss of HO2 upon photoionization of functional hydroperoxides. The identification of HPMAF is confirmed by comparison of the appearance energy of the fragment ion with theoretical predictions of its photoionization threshold. The results are compared to analogous studies on the reaction of formic acid with methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVK-oxide), the other four-carbon Criegee intermediate in isoprene ozonolysis.

Surprisingly long lifetime of methacrolein oxide, an isoprene derived Criegee intermediate, under humid conditions

Ozonolysis of isoprene, the most abundant alkene, produces three distinct Criegee intermediates (CIs): CH₂OO, methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVKO) and methacrolein oxide (MACRO). The oxidation of SO₂ by CIs is a potential source of H₂SO₄, an important precursor of aerosols. Here we investigated the UV-visible spectroscopy and reaction kinetics of thermalized MACRO. An extremely fast reaction of anti-MACRO with SO₂ has been found, k_SO2 = (1.5 ± 0.4) × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1 (±1σ, σ is the standard deviation of the data) at 298 K (150 - 500 Torr), which is ca. 4 times the value for syn-MVKO. However, the reaction of anti-MACRO with water vapor has been observed to be quite slow with an effective rate coefficient of (9 ± 5) × 10^-17 cm³ s^-1 (±1σ) at 298 K (300 to 500 Torr), which is smaller than current literature values by 1 or 2 orders of magnitude. Our results indicate that anti-MACRO has an atmospheric lifetime (best estimate ca. 18 ms at 298 K and RH = 70%) much longer than previously thought (ca. 0.3 or 3 ms), resulting in a much higher steady-state concentration. Owing to larger reaction rate coefficient, the impact of anti-MACRO on the oxidation of atmospheric SO₂ would be substantial, even more than that of syn-MVKO.

Formic acid catalyzed isomerization and adduct formation of an isoprene-derived Criegee intermediate: experiment and theory

Isoprene is the most abundant non-methane hydrocarbon emitted into the Earth's atmosphere. Ozonolysis is an important atmospheric sink for isoprene, which generates reactive carbonyl oxide species (R1R2C[double bond, length as m-dash]O+O-) known as Criegee intermediates. This study focuses on characterizing the catalyzed isomerization and adduct formation pathways for the reaction between formic acid and methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVK-oxide), a four-carbon unsaturated Criegee intermediate generated from isoprene ozonolysis. syn-MVK-oxide undergoes intramolecular 1,4 H-atom transfer to form a substituted vinyl hydroperoxide intermediate, 2-hydroperoxybuta-1,3-diene (HPBD), which subsequently decomposes to hydroxyl and vinoxylic radical products. Here, we report direct observation of HPBD generated by formic acid catalyzed isomerization of MVK-oxide under thermal conditions (298 K, 10 torr) using multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry. The acid catalyzed isomerization of MVK-oxide proceeds by a double hydrogen-bonded interaction followed by a concerted H-atom transfer via submerged barriers to produce HPBD and regenerate formic acid. The analogous isomerization pathway catalyzed with deuterated formic acid (D2-formic acid) enables migration of a D atom to yield partially deuterated HPBD (DPBD), which is identified by its distinct mass (m/z 87) and photoionization threshold. In addition, bimolecular reaction of MVK-oxide with D2-formic acid forms a functionalized hydroperoxide adduct, which is the dominant product channel, and is compared to a previous bimolecular reaction study with normal formic acid. Complementary high-level theoretical calculations are performed to further investigate the reaction pathways and kinetics.

Kinetics of Unimolecular Decay of Methyl Vinyl Ketone Oxide, an Isoprene-Derived Criegee Intermediate, under Atmospherically Relevant Conditions

Isoprene is the most abundant unsaturated hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. Ozonolysis of isoprene produces methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVKO), which may react with atmospheric SO₂, formic acid, and other important species at substantial levels. In this study, we utilized ultraviolet absorption to monitor the unimolecular decay kinetics of syn-MVKO in real time at 278-319 K and 100-503 Torr. After removing the contributions of radical reactions and wall loss, the unimolecular decay rate coefficient of syn-MVKO was measured to be k_uni = 70 ± 15 s^-1 (1σ uncertainty) at 298 K with negligible pressure dependence. In addition, k_uni increases from ca. 30 s^-1 at 278 K to ca. 175 s^-1 at 319 K with an effective Arrhenius activation energy of 8.3 ± 2.5 kcal mol^-1, k_uni(T) = (9.3 × 10⁷)exp(-4200/T) s^-1. Our results indicate that unimolecular decay is the major sink of MVKO in the troposphere. The data would improve the estimation for the steady-state concentrations of MVKO and thus its oxidizing ability.

Unraveling Conformer-Specific Sources of Hydroxyl Radical Production from an Isoprene-Derived Criegee Intermediate by Deuteration

Ozonolysis of isoprene, the most abundant volatile organic compounds emitted into the Earth's troposphere after methane, yields three distinct Criegee intermediates. Among these, methyl vinyl ketone oxide (MVK-oxide) is predicted to be the major source of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals (OH) from isoprene ozonolysis. Previously, Barber et al. [ J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, pp 10866-10880] demonstrated that syn-MVK-oxide conformers undergo unimolecular decay via 1,4-hydrogen (H) transfer from the methyl group to the adjacent terminal oxygen atom, followed by the prompt release of OH radical products. Here, we selectively deuterate the methyl group of MVK-oxide (d₃-MVK-oxide) and record its IR action spectrum in the vinyl CH stretch overtone (2ν_CH) region. The resultant time-dependent appearance of OD radical products, detected by laser-induced fluorescence, demonstrates that a unimolecular decay of d₃-MVK-oxide proceeds by an analogous 1,4-deuterium (D) atom transfer mechanism anticipated for syn conformers. The experimental spectral and temporal results are compared with the calculated IR absorption spectrum and unimolecular decay rates predicted by the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory for syn-d₃-MVK-oxide, as well as the prior study on syn-MVK-oxide. The d₃-MVK-oxide IR action spectrum is similar to that for MVK-oxide, yet exhibits notable changes as the overtone and combination transitions involving CD stretch shift to a lower frequency. The unimolecular decay rate for d₃-MVK-oxide is predicted to be a factor of 40 times slower than that for MVK-oxide in the 2ν_CH region. Experimentally, the temporal profile of the OD products reflects the slower unimolecular decay of d₃-MVK-oxide compared to that for MVK-oxide to OH products as well as experimental factors. Both experiment and theory demonstrate that quantum mechanical tunneling plays a very important role in the 1,4-H/D-transfer processes at energies in the vicinity of the transition-state barrier. The similarities of the IR action spectra and changes in the unimolecular decay dynamics upon deuteration indicate that syn conformers make the main contribution to the IR action spectra of MVK-oxide and d₃-MVK-oxide.