Hydrogen Abstraction from Hydrocarbons by NH2

Theoretical Investigation on the H Atom Abstraction Reaction from C1-C4 Alkanes and Alkenes by ṄH2 Radicals

The H atom abstraction reactions from alkanes and alkenes by ṄH2 are decisive in predicting the combustion characteristics of NH3/CxHy binary fuels. Theoretical investigation is carried out on the energy barriers of H atom abstraction reactions from C1-C4 alkanes/alkenes by ṄH2 radicals at the QCISD(T)/CBS//M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. Single-point energies of each species are computed using QCISD(T)/cc-pVDZ, TZ level of theories with basis set corrections from MP2/cc-pVDZ, TZ, and QZ methods. One-dimensional hindered rotor potentials are obtained by the M06-2X/cc-pVTZ method with 10° increment. Rate constants of each channel across temperatures of 298.15-2000 K are calculated by solving the RRKM/Master Equation with conventional transition state theory. For alkanes, rate constants order follows ktertiary> ksecondary> kprimary, while for alkenes the order follows kallylic> kprimary> kvinylic. Among the vinylic carbon sites within the same alkene species, the hydrogen atom sharing the same carbon with the allylic carbon on the C-C double bond is the preferred site for the H atom abstraction reaction. The branching ratio results indicate that the abstraction from tertiary or secondary carbon sites on alkanes and allylic carbon sites on alkenes are dominating during the investigated temperature range but become less important as the temperature increases. The data provided in this work are in good agreement with the literature data, but for the ṄH2+alkenes system, the literature data are scarce and further investigation is needed.

Predicting the Decomposition Mechanism of the Serine α-Amino Acid in the Gas Phase and Condensed Media

Comprehending the nitrogen combustion chemistry during the thermal treatment of biomass demands acquiring a detailed mechanism for reaction pathways that dictate the degradation of amino acids. Serine (Ser) is an important α-amino acid that invariably exists in various categories of biomass, most notably algae. Based on density functional theory (DFT) coupled with kinetic modeling, this study presents a mechanistic overview of reactions that govern the fragmentation of the Ser compound in the gas phase as well as in the crystalline form. Thermokinetic parameters are computed for a large set of reactions and involved species. The initial decomposition of Ser is solely controlled by a dehydration channel that leads to the formation of a 2-aminoacrylic acid molecule. Decarboxylation and deamination routes are likely to be of negligible importance. The falloff window of the dehydration channel extends until the atmospheric pressure. Bimolecular reactions between two Ser compounds simulate the widely discussed cross-linking reactions that prevail in the condensed medium. It is demonstrated that the formation of the key experimentally observed products (NH3, CO2, and CO) may originate from direct bond fissions in the melted phase of Ser prior to evaporation. A constructed kinetic model (with 24 reactions) accounts for the primary steps in the degradation of the Ser molecule in the gas phase. These steps include dehydration, decarboxylation, deamination, and others. The kinetic model presents an onset decomposition temperature of 700 K with the complete conversion attained at ∼1090 K. Likewise, the model portrays the temperature-dependent increasing yields of CO2 and NH3. The results presented in this work offer a detailed analysis of the intricate chemical processes involved in nitrogen transformations, specifically in relation to amino acids. Amino acids play a crucial role as the primary nitrogen carriers in biomass, such as microalgae and protein-rich biomass.

Electron-induced hydroamination of ethane as compared to ethene: implications for the reaction mechanism

The properties of carbonaceous materials with respect to various applications are enhanced by incorporation of nitrogen-containing moieties like, for instance, amino groups. Therefore, processes that allow the introduction of such functional groups into hydrocarbon compounds are of utmost interest. Previous studies have demonstrated that hydroamination reactions which couple amines to unsaturated sites within hydrocarbon molecules do not only proceed in the presence of suitably tailored catalysts but can also be induced and controlled by electron irradiation. However, studies on electron-induced hydroaminations so far were guided by the hypothesis that unsaturated hydrocarbons are required for the reaction while the reaction would be much less efficient in the case of saturated hydrocarbons. The present work evaluates the validity of this hypothesis by post-irradiation thermal desorption experiments that monitor the electron energy-dependent yield of ethylamine after electron irradiation of mixed C2H4:NH3 and C2H6:NH3 ices with the same composition and thickness. The results reveal that, in contrast to the initial assumption, ethylamine is formed with similar efficiency in both mixed ices. From the dependence of the product yields on the electron energy, we conclude that the reaction in both cases is predominantly driven by electron ionization of NH3. Ethylamine is formed via alternative reaction mechanisms by which the resulting NH2˙ radicals add to C2H4 and C2H6, respectively. The similar efficiency of amine formation in unsaturated and saturated hydrocarbons demonstrates that electron irradiation in the presence of NH3 is a more versatile tool for introducing nitrogen into carbonaceous materials than previously anticipated.

Contributions of Experimental Data Obtained in Concentrated Mixtures to Kinetic Studies: Application to Monomethylhydrazine Pyrolysis

Experimental, numerical, and theoretical studies are performed to understand the explosive thermal decomposition of monomethylhydrazine/argon mixtures. Ignition delays of concentrated MMH/Ar mixtures (20-30%) have been measured behind a reflected shock wave around 1000 K and 1 atm. Although several detailed chemical kinetic models have predictive abilities for diluted and highly diluted mixtures, none of them showed predictive for concentrated mixtures. A new kinetic model is proposed, in which numerous rate constants and thermochemical data are reassessed based on theoretical calculations, with the purpose to determine whether, or to what extent, trends derived from diluted or highly diluted MMH/Ar mixtures can explain observations in concentrated MMH mixtures. The present kinetic model is found to predict speciation experimental profiles in diluted MMH/Ar mixtures and is a significant improvement in predicting the induction delays of concentrated MMH/Ar mixtures.

Ab initio kinetics of the C2H2 + NH2 reaction: a revisited study

This work provides a rigorous detailed kinetic study on the C₂H₂ + NH₂ reaction in a wide range of conditions (T = 250-2000 K & P = 1-76000 Torr). In particular, the composite method W1U was used to construct the potential energy surface on which the kinetic behaviors were characterized within the state-of-the-art master equation/Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (ME/RRKM) framework. Corrections of the hindered internal rotation (HIR) treatment and quantum tunneling effect were included. A clear reaction mechanism shift with respect to both temperature and pressure was revealed via detailed kinetic and species analyses. In particular, bimolecular products (i.e., CH₂[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]NH + H, CH[triple bond, length as m-dash]CNH₂ + H, CH₃CN + H, CH[triple bond, length as m-dash]C· + NH₃ in the decreasing mole fraction order) can be formed directly from the reactants at high temperature and/or low pressure while they can be produced indirectly via intermediates (e.g., ·CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CHNH₂(cis), ·CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CHNH₂(trans), CH₂[double bond, length as m-dash]C·NH₂,…) at low temperature and/or high pressure. The calculated rate constants are in good agreement with the literature data from ab initio calculations without any adjustment; thus, the proposed temperature- and pressure-dependent rate constants, together with the thermodynamic data of the species involved, can be confidently used for modeling NH₂-related systems under atmospheric and combustion conditions.

Theoretical Investigation on Hydrogen Abstraction by NO2 from Symmetric Ethers (CH3)2 xO ( x = 1-4)

Hydrogen abstractions by NO₂ from symmetric ethers are investigated to determine the rate constants and explore the effect of the functional group on rate constants at different reaction sites. The involved ethers are dimethyl ether (DME), diethyl ether (DEE), dipropyl ether (DPE), and dibutyl ether (DBE). The B3LYP method with a 6-31G(2df,p) basis set is employed to optimize the ground-state geometries and for frequency and intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations. The G4 method is used to calculate the electronic energies for the small ethers (DME and DEE). Given the heavy computational cost of the G4 method, the modified G4MP2 method is applied for larger ethers (DPE and DBE) and also for DME to verify the accuracy of the G4MP2 method by benchmarking with the G4 method. The high-pressure limit rate constants are calculated within the temperature range of 500-2000 K, with the asymmetrical Eckart tunneling correction as well as one-dimensional hindered rotor treatment. The calculated rate constants agree well with the literature data, and the branch ratio analysis suggests that the cis-HONO channel basically dominates the hydrogen abstraction reactions and shows a decrease at high temperatures, followed by HNO₂ and trans-HONO channels; in addition, the hydrogen abstraction at the C site adjacent to the ether bond (α reaction site) accounts for most of the reactions. Furthermore, the total rate constants of the ethers are compared to those of their half-structurally alkanes, and linear Bell-Evans-Polanyi correlations are observed.