Toward High-Level Theoretical Studies of Large Biodiesel Molecules: An ONIOM [QCISD(T)/CBS:DFT] Study of the Reactions between Unsaturated Methyl Esters (CnH2n–1COOCH3) and Hydrogen Radical

Accurate Kinetics of Cyclization Reactions of the Large-Size Hydroperoxy Methyl-Ester Radicals Investigated by the Isodesmic Reaction Correction Method

The cyclization reactions of hydroperoxymethylester radicals are pivotal in low-temperature methyl-ester combustion but limited experimental and theoretical kinetic data pose challenges. Prior research has drawn upon analogous hydroperoxy alkyl radical cyclization reactions to approximate rate constants and might inaccurately represent ester group-specific behavior. This study systematically investigates these kinetics, accounting for ester group effects and computational complexities in large molecular systems. The reactions are categorized into 11 classes based on cyclic transition state size and -OOH/radical positions. Energy barriers and high-pressure-limit rate constants are calculated using the isodesmic reaction correction method, validated, and applied to 24 subclasses based on carbon sites connected to -OOH and radical moieties. Subclass high-pressure-limit rate rules are derived through averaging rate constants. Analysis reveals uncertainties within acceptable chemical accuracy limits, validating the reaction classification and rate rules. We conduct comparative analyses with values from analogous alkyl reactions in established mechanisms while comparing our results with the high-pressure-limit rate rules for analogous alkane reactions. These comparisons reveal notable disparities, emphasizing the ester group's influence and necessitating tailored ester-specific rate rules. These findings hold promise for improving automatic reaction mechanism generation, particularly for large methyl esters.

Influence of Torsional Anharmonicity on the Reactions of Methyl Butanoate with Hydroperoxyl Radical

An ab initio chemical kinetics study of the reactions of methyl butanoate (MB) with hydroperoxyl radical (HO₂) is presented in this paper. Particular interest is placed on determining the influences of torsional anharmonicity and addition reaction on the rate constants of hydrogen abstraction reactions. Stationary points on the potential energy surface of MB + HO₂ are calculated at the level of QCISD(T)/CBS//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p). The transition state theory (TST) is used to calculate the high-pressure limit rate constants of the hydrogen abstraction reactions over a board range of temperature (500-2000 K). Anharmonicity of low-frequency torsional modes is considered in the rate calculations by using the one-dimensional hindered rotor approximation and the internal-coordinate multistructural approximation; the latter is used as a higher-level theoretical method to examine the applicability of the former in dealing with strongly coupled torsional modes. The calculated rate constants are compared with the available data from the literature and observed discrepancies are analyzed in detail. An energetically lowest-lying addition reaction with subsequent isomerization and decomposition reactions are identified on the potential energy surface. The multiple-well Master equation analysis shows that these reactions have a secondary influence on the rate constants in the temperature range of interest.

Towards high-level theoretical studies of large biodiesel molecules: an ONIOM/RRKM/Master-equation approach to the isomerization and dissociation kinetics of methyl decanoate radicals

The isomerization and dissociation reactions of methyl decanoate (MD) radicals were theoretically investigated by using high-level theoretical calculations based on a two-layer ONIOM method, employing the QCISD(T)/CBS method for the high layer and the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) method for the low layer. Temperature- and pressure-dependent rate coefficients for the involved reactions were computed by using the transition state theory and the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus/Master-equation method. The structure-reactivity relationships were explored for the complicated multiple-well interconnected system of ten isomeric MD radicals. Comparative studies of methyl butanoate (MB) and MD were also performed systematically. Results show that the isomerization reactions are appreciably responsible for the population distribution of MD radicals at low and intermediate temperatures, while the β-scission reactions are dominant at higher temperatures. Although the rate constants of MB specific to methyl esters are close to those of MD in certain temperature ranges, MB is unable to simulate most of the dissociation reactions due to its short aliphatic chain. Significant differences of rate constants for isomerization reactions were observed between the calculated results and the literature data, which were estimated by analogy to alkane systems, but the rate constants of β-scissions show generally good agreement between theory and experiment. The current work extends kinetic data for isomerization and dissociation reactions of MD radicals, and it serves as a reference for the studies of detailed combustion chemistry of practical biodiesels.