A New Pathway for Intersystem Crossing: Unexpected Products in the O(3P) + Cyclopentene Reaction

Crossed molecular beam experiments and theoretical simulations on the multichannel reaction of toluene with atomic oxygen

Despite extensive experimental and theoretical studies on the kinetics of the O(3P) + C7H8 (toluene) reaction and a pioneering crossed molecular beam (CMB) investigation, the branching fractions (BFs) of the CH3C6H4O(methylphenoxy) + H, C6H5O(phenoxy) + CH3, and spin-forbidden C5H5CH3 (methylcyclopentadiene) + CO product channels remain an open question, which has hampered the proper inclusion of this important reaction in the chemical modelling of various chemical environments. We report a CMB study with universal soft electron-ionization mass-spectrometric detection of the reactions O(3P,1D) + toluene at the collision energy of 34.7 kJ mol-1. From CMB data we have inferred the reaction dynamics and quantified the BFs of the primary products and the role of intersystem crossing (ISC). The CH3-elimination channel dominates (BF = 0.69 ± 0.22) in the O(3P) reaction, while the H-displacement and CO-formation channels are minor (BF = 0.22 ± 0.07 and 0.09 ± 0.05, respectively), with ISC accounting for more than 50% of the reactive flux. Synergistic transition-state theory (TST)-based master equation simulations including nonadiabatic TST on ab initio coupled triplet/singlet potential energy surfaces were employed to compute the product BFs and assist in the interpretation of the CMB results. In the light of the good agreement between the theoretical predictions for the O(3P) + toluene reaction and the CMB results as well as the absolute rate constant as a function of temperature (T) (from literature), the so-validated computational methodology was used to predict channel-specific rate constants as a function of T at 1 atm.

Reaction dynamics of S(3P) with 1,3-butadiene and isoprene: crossed-beam scattering, low-temperature flow experiments, and high-level electronic structure calculations

Sulfur atoms serve as key players in diverse chemical processes, from astrochemistry at very low temperature to combustion at high temperature. Building upon our prior findings, showing cyclization to thiophenes following the reaction of ground-state sulfur atoms with dienes, we here extend this investigation to include many additional reaction products, guided by detailed theoretical predictions. The outcomes highlight the complex formation of products during intersystem crossing (ISC) to the singlet surfaces. Here, we employed crossed-beam velocity map imaging and high-level ab initio methods to explore the reaction of S(3P) with 1,3-butadiene and isoprene under single-collision conditions and in low-temperature flows. For the butadiene reaction, our experimental results show the formation of thiophene via H2 loss, a 2H-thiophenyl radical through H loss, and thioketene through ethene loss at a slightly higher collision energy compared to previous observations. Complementary Chirped-Pulse Fourier-Transform mmWave spectroscopy (CP-FTmmW) measurements in a uniform flow confirmed the formation of thioketene in the reaction at 20 K. For the isoprene reaction, we observed analogous products along with the 2H-thiophenyl radical arising from methyl loss and C3H4S (loss of ethene or H2 + acetylene). CP-FTmmW detected the formation of thioformaldehyde via loss of 1,3-butadiene, again in the 20 K flow. Coupled-cluster calculations on the pathways found by the automated kinetic workflow code KinBot support these findings and indicate ISC to the singlet surface, leading to the generation of various long-lived intermediates, including 5-membered heterocycles.

Sulfur (3P) Reaction with Conjugated Dienes Gives Cyclization to Thiophenes under Single Collision Conditions

We combine crossed-beam velocity map imaging with high-level ab initio/transition state theory modeling of the reaction of S(3P) with 1,3-butadiene and isoprene under single collision conditions. For the butadiene reaction, we detect both H and H2 loss from the initial adduct, and from reaction with isoprene, we see both H loss and methyl loss. Theoretical calculations confirm these arise following intersystem crossing to the singlet surface forming long-lived intermediates. For the butadiene reaction, these lose H2 to form thiophene as the dominant channel, H to form the detected 2H-thiophenyl radical, or ethene, giving thioketene. For isoprene, additional reaction products are suggested by theory, including the observed H and methyl loss radicals, but also methyl thiophene, thioformaldehyde, and thioketene. The results for S(3P) + 1,3-butadiene, showing direct cyclization to the aromatic product and yielding few bimolecular product channels, are in striking contrast to those for the analogous O(3P) reaction.

Automated Reaction Kinetics of Gas-Phase Organic Species over Multiwell Potential Energy Surfaces

Automation of rate-coefficient calculations for gas-phase organic species became possible in recent years and has transformed how we explore these complicated systems computationally. Kinetics workflow tools bring rigor and speed and eliminate a large fraction of manual labor and related error sources. In this paper we give an overview of this quickly evolving field and illustrate, through five detailed examples, the capabilities of our own automated tool, KinBot. We bring examples from combustion and atmospheric chemistry of C-, H-, O-, and N-atom-containing species that are relevant to molecular weight growth and autoxidation processes. The examples shed light on the capabilities of automation and also highlight particular challenges associated with the various chemical systems that need to be addressed in future work.

Algorithmic Explorations of Unimolecular and Bimolecular Reaction Spaces

Algorithmic reaction exploration based on transition state searches has already made inroads into many niche applications, but its potential as a general-purpose tool is still largely unrealized. Computational cost and the absence of benchmark problems involving larger molecules remain obstacles to further progress. Here an ultra-low cost exploration algorithm is implemented and used to explore the reactivity of unimolecular and bimolecular reactants, comprising a total of 581 reactions involving 51 distinct reactants. The algorithm discovers all established reaction pathways, where such comparisons are possible, while also revealing a much richer reactivity landscape, including lower barrier reaction pathways and a strong dependence of reaction conformation in the apparent barriers of the reported reactions. The diversity of these benchmarks illustrate that reaction exploration algorithms are approaching general-purpose capability.

Stereoisomer-dependent unimolecular kinetics of 2,4-dimethyloxetane peroxy radicals

2,4,dimethyloxetane is an important cyclic ether intermediate that is produced from hydroperoxyalkyl (QOOH) radicals in low-temperature combustion of n-pentane. However, reaction mechanisms and rates of consumption pathways remain unclear. In...

Crossed-beam and theoretical studies of multichannel nonadiabatic reactions: branching fractions and role of intersystem crossing for O(3P)+1,3-butadiene

Atomic oxygen reactions can contribute significantly to the oxidation of unsaturated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The reaction mechanism is started by electrophilic O atom addition to the unsaturated bond(s) to...

Spectroscopic Characterization of Two Boron Heterocyclic Radicals in the Solid Neon Matrix

Two novel boron heterocyclic radicals, 3,4,5-trihydroborinine radical and 1-methyl-2-dihydro-1H-borole radical, were observed in the reaction of boron atom with cyclopentene. These radicals were trapped in solid neon and identified by...