Kinetic Studies of the Reactions CH3 + NO2 → Products, CH3O + NO2 → Products, and OH + CH3C(O)CH3 → CH3C(O)OH + CH3, over a Range of Temperature and Pressure

Experimental and theoretical investigation on the OH + CH3C(O)CH3 reaction at interstellar temperatures (T=11.7-64.4 K)

The rate coefficient, k(T), for the gas-phase reaction between OH radicals and acetone CH3C(O)CH3, has been measured using the pulsed CRESU (French acronym for Reaction Kinetics in a Uniform Supersonic Flow) technique (T = 11.7-64.4 K). The temperature dependence of k(T = 10-300 K) has also been computed using a RRKM-Master equation analysis after partial revision of the potential energy surface. In agreement with previous studies we found that the reaction proceeds via initial formation of two pre-reactive complexes both leading to H2O + CH3C(O)CH2 by H-abstraction tunneling. The experimental k(T) was found to increase as temperature was lowered. The measured values have been found to be several orders of magnitude higher than k(300 K). This trend is reproduced by calculations, with a special good agreement with experiments below 25 K. The effect of total gas density on k(T) has been explored. Experimentally, no pressure dependence of k(20 K) and k(64 K) was observed, while k(50 K) at the largest gas density 4.47×1017 cm-3 is twice higher than the average values found at lower densities. The computed k(T) is also reported for 103 cm-3 of He (representative of the interstellar medium). The predicted rate coefficients at 10 K surround the experimental value which appears to be very close to the low pressure regime prevailing in the interstellar medium. For gas-phase model chemistry of interstellar molecular clouds, we suggest using the calculated value of 1.8×10-10 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 10 K and the reaction products are water and CH3C(O)CH2 radicals.

Shock Tube Laser Schlieren Study of the Pyrolysis of Isopropyl Nitrate

The decomposition of isopropyl nitrate was measured behind incident shock waves using laser schlieren densitometry in a diaphragmless shock tube. Experiments were conducted over the temperature range of 700-1000 K and at pressures of 71, 126, and 240 Torr. Electronic structure theory and RRKM Master Equation methods were used to predict the decomposition kinetics. RRKM/ME parameters were optimized against the experimental data to provide an accurate prediction over a broader range of conditions. The initial decomposition i-C₃H₇ONO₂ ⇌ i-C₃H₇O + NO₂ has a high-pressure limit rate coefficient of 5.70 × 10²²T^-1.80 exp[-21287.5/T] s^-1. A new chemical kinetic mechanism was developed to model the chemistry after the initial dissociation. A new shock tube module was developed for Cantera, which allows for arbitrarily large mechanisms in the simulation of laser schlieren experiments. The present work is in good agreement with previous experimental studies.

Barrierless Reactions with Loose Transition States Govern the Yields and Lifetimes of Organic Nitrates Derived from Isoprene

The chemical reaction mechanism of NO addition to two β and δ isoprene hydroxy-peroxy radical isomers is examined in detail using density functional theory, coupled cluster methods, and the energy resolved master equation formalism to provide estimates of rate constants and organic nitrate yields. At the M06-2x/aug-cc-pVTZ level, the potential energy surfaces of NO reacting with β-(1,2)-HO-IsopOO• and δ-Z-(1,4)-HO-IsopOO• possess barrierless reactions that produce alkoxy radicals/NO2 and organic nitrates. The nudged elastic band method was used to discover a loosely bound van der Waals (vdW) complex between NO2 and the alkoxy radical that is present in both exit reaction channels. Semiempirical master equation calculations show that the β organic nitrate yield is 8.5 ± 3.7%. Additionally, a relatively low barrier to C-C bond scission was discovered in the β-vdW complex that leads to direct HONO formation in the gas phase with a yield of 3.1 ± 1.3%. The δ isomer produces a looser vdW complex with a smaller dissociation barrier and a larger isomerization barrier, giving a 2.4 ± 0.8% organic nitrate yield that is relatively pressure and temperature insensitive. By considering all of these pathways, the first-generation NOx recycling efficiency from isoprene organic nitrates is estimated to be 21% and is expected to increase with decreasing NOx concentration.

Exploring mechanisms of a tropospheric archetype: CH3O2 + NO

Methylperoxy radical (CH3O2) and nitric oxide (NO) contribute to the propagation of photochemical smog in the troposphere via the production of methoxy radical (CH3O) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). This reaction system also furnishes trace quantities of methyl nitrate (CH3ONO2), a sink for reactive NOx species. Here, the CH3O2 + NO reaction is examined with highly reliable coupled-cluster methods. Specifically, equilibrium geometries for the reactants, products, intermediates, and transition states of the ground-state potential energy surface are characterized. Relative reaction enthalpies at 0 K (ΔH0K) are reported; these values are comprised of electronic energies extrapolated to the complete basis set limit of CCSDT(Q) and zero-point vibrational energies computed at CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ. A two-part mechanism involving CH3O and NO2 production followed by radical recombination to CH3ONO2 is determined to be the primary channel for formation of CH3ONO2 under tropospheric conditions. Constrained optimizations of the reaction paths at CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ suggest that the homolytic bond dissociations involved in this reaction path are barrierless.

Gas-phase kinetics of the hydroxyl radical reaction with allene: absolute rate measurements at low temperature, product determinations, and calculations

The gas phase reaction of the hydroxyl radical with allene has been studied theoretically and experimentally in a continuous supersonic flow reactor over the range 50 ≤ T/K ≤ 224. This reaction has been found to exhibit a negative temperature dependence over the entire temperature range investigated, varying between (0.75 and 5.0) × 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Product formation from the reaction of OH and OD radicals with allene (C(3)H(4)) has been investigated in a fast flow reactor through time-of-flight mass spectrometry, at pressures between 0.8 and 2.4 Torr. The branching ratios for adduct formation (C(3)H(4)OH) in this pressure range are found to be equal to 34 ± 16% and 48 ± 16% for the OH and OD + allene reactions, respectively, the only other channel being the formation of CH(3) or CH(2)D + H(2)CCO (ketene). Moreover, the rate constant for the OD + C(3)H(4) reaction is also found to be 1.4 times faster than the rate constant for the OH + C(3)H(4) reaction at 1.5 Torr and at 298 K. The experimental results and implications for atmospheric chemistry have been rationalized by quantum chemical and RRKM calculations.

The Reactions of O(3P) with Terminal Alkenes: The H2CO Channel via 3,2 H-Atom Shift

The step-scan time-resolved FTIR emission spectroscopy is used to characterize systematically the H(2)CO channel for the reactions of O((3)P) with various alkenes. IR emission bands due to the products of CO, CO(2), and H(2)CO have been observed in the spectra. H(2)CO is identified to be the primary reaction product whereas CO and CO(2) are secondary reaction products of O((3)P) with alkenes. A general trend is observed in which the fraction yield of the H(2)CO product increases substantially as the reactant alkene varies from C(2)H(4), C(3)H(6), 1-C(4)H(8), iso-C(4)H(8), to 1-C(5)H(10). The formation mechanism of the H(2)CO is therefore elucidated to arise from a 3,2 H-atom shift followed by breaking of the C(1)-C(2) bond in the initially formed energized diradical RCH(2)CHCH(2)O*. The 3,2 H-atom shift may become the dominant process with the more rapid delocalization of the energy when the hydrocarbon chain of the alkene molecule is lengthened.

Quantum mechanical investigation of the atmospheric reaction CH3O2 + NO

The important stationary points on the potential energy surface of the reaction CH(3)O(2) + NO have been investigated using ab initio and density functional theory techniques. The optimizations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory while the energetics have been refined using the G2MP2, G3//B3LYP, and CCSD(T) methodologies. The calculations allow the proper characterization of the transition state barriers that determine the fate of the nascent association conformeric minima of methyl peroxynitrite. The main products, CH(3)O + NO(2), are formed through either rearrangement of the trans-conformer to methyl nitrate and its subsequent dissociation or via the breaking of the peroxy bond of the cis-conformer to CH(3)O + NO(2) radical pair. The important consequences of the proposed mechanism are (a) the allowance on energetic grounds for nitrate formation parallel to radical propagation under favorable external conditions and (b) the confirmation of the conformational preference of the homolytic cleavage of the peroxy bond, discussed in previous literature.

Kinetic parameters for gas-phase reactions: experimental and theoretical challenges

This article aims to illustrate the added value provided to experimental kinetics investigations by complementary theoretical kinetics studies, using as examples (i) reactions of two major hydrocarbon flame radicals, HCCO and C(2)H, and (ii) reactions of several oxygenated organic compounds with hydroxyl radicals of interest to atmospheric chemistry. The first part, on HCCO and C(2)H kinetics, does not attempt to give an extensive literature review, but rather addresses some major experimental techniques, mainly specific ones, that have allowed a great part of the available reactivity databases on these two species to be established. For several key reactions, it is shown how potential energy surfaces and statistical rate predictions based thereon have provided insight into the molecular mechanisms and have allowed estimates of product distributions as well as reliable extrapolations of experimental rate coefficients and branching ratios to higher temperatures. The second part addresses current issues in atmospheric chemistry relating mainly to hydroxyl radical reactions with oxygenated organics, and focuses on the experimental characterization of the often unusual temperature dependence of their rate coefficients and on the theoretical rationalization thereof, through the formation of hydrogen-bonded pre-reactive complexes and resulting tunnelling-enhanced H-abstraction. Finally, the development of general structure-activity relationships for OH reactions with organics, H-abstractions as well as OH-additions for unsaturated compounds, is briefly discussed.

Absolute rate coefficient of the OH + CH(3)C(O)OH reaction at T = 287-802 K. The two faces of pre-reactive H-bonding

The rate constants for the reaction OH + CH3C(O)OH --> products (1) were determined over the temperature range 287-802 K at 50 and 100 Torr of Ar or N2 bath gas using pulsed laser photolysis generation of OH by CH3C(O)OH photolysis at 193 nm coupled with OH detection by pulsed laser-induced fluorescence. The rate coefficient displays a complex temperature dependence with a sharp minimum at 530 K, indicating the competition between a reaction proceeding through a pre-reactive H-bonded complex to form CH3C(O)O + H2O, expected to prevail at low temperatures, and a direct methyl-H abstraction channel leading to CH2C(O)OH + H2O, which should dominate at high temperatures. The temperature dependence of the rate constant can be described adequately by k1(287-802 K) = 2.9 x 10(-9) exp{-6030 K/T} + 1.50 x 10(-13) exp{515 K/T} cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1), with a value of (8.5 +/- 0.9) x 10-13 cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1) at 298 K. The steep increase in rate constant in the range 550-800 K, which is reported for the first time, implies that direct abstraction of a methyl-H becomes the dominant pathway at temperatures greater than 550 K. However, the data indicates that up to about 800 K direct methyl-H abstraction remains adversely affected by the long-range H-bonding attraction between the approaching OH radical and the carboxyl -C(O)OH functionality.

Kinetics of the Reactions of CH2I, CH2Br, and CHBrCl Radicals with NO2 in the Temperature Range 220−360 K

The kinetics of the CH2I + NO2, CH2Br + NO2, and CHBrCl + NO2 reactions have been studied at temperatures between 220 and 360 K using laser photolysis/photoionization mass spectrometry. Decays of radical concentrations have been monitored in time-resolved measurements to obtain reaction rate coefficients under pseudo-first-order conditions. The bimolecular rate coefficients of all three reactions are independent of the bath gas (He or N2) and pressure within the experimental range (2-6 Torr) and are found to depend on temperature as follows: k(CH2I + NO2) = (2.18 +/- 0.07) x 10(-11) (T / 300 K)(-1.45) (+/- 0.22) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (220-363 K), k(CH2Br + NO2) = (1.76 +/- 0.03) x 10(-11) (T/300 K)(-0.86) (+/- 0.09) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (221-363 K), and k(CHBrCl + NO2) = (8.81 +/- 0.28) x 10(-12) (T/300 K)(-1.55) (+/- 0.34) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (267-363 K), with the uncertainties given as one-standard deviations. Estimated overall uncertainties in the measured bimolecular reaction rate coefficients are about +/-25%. In the CH2I + NO2 and CH2Br + NO2 reactions, the observed product is formaldehyde. For the CHBrCl + NO2 reaction, the product observed is CHClO. In addition, I atom and iodonitromethane (CH2INO2) or iodomethyl nitrite (CH2IONO) formations have been detected for the CH2I + NO2 reaction.

Atmospheric Oxidation Pathways of Acetic Acid

One of the most abundant carboxylic acids measured in the atmosphere is acetic acid (CH(3)C(O)OH), present in rural, urban, and remote marine environments in the low-ppb range. Acetic acid concentrations are not well reproduced in global 3-D atmospheric models because of the poor inventory of sources and sinks to model its global distribution. To understand the complete oxidation of acetic acid in the atmosphere initiated by OH radicals, ab initio calculations are performed to describe in detail the energetics of the reaction potential energy surface (PES). The proposed reaction mechanism suggests that the CH(3)C(O)OH + OH reaction takes place via three pathways: the addition of OH to the central carbon, the abstraction of a methyl hydrogen, and the abstraction of an acidic hydrogen. The PES is characterized by prereactive H-complexes, transition states, and more interestingly unique radical-mediated isomerization reactions. From the analysis of the energetics, acetic acid atmospheric oxidation will proceed mainly via the abstraction of the acidic hydrogen, consistent with previous experimental and theoretical studies. The major byproducts from each pathway are identified. Glyoxylic acid is suggested to be a major byproduct of the atmospheric oxidation of acetic acid. The atmospheric fate of glyoxylic acid is discussed.

Theoretical Mechanistic Study on the Radical−Molecule Reaction of CH2OH with NO2

The complex singlet potential energy surface for the reaction of CH2OH with NO2, including 14 minimum isomers and 28 transition states, is explored theoretically at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and Gaussian-3 (single-point) levels. The initial association between CH2OH and NO2 is found to be the carbon-to-nitrogen approach forming an adduct HOCH2NO2 (1) with no barrier, followed by C-N bond rupture along with a concerted H-shift leading to product P1 (CH2O + trans-HONO), which is the most abundant. Much less competitively, 1 can undergo the C-O bond formation along with C-N bond rupture to isomer HOCH2ONO (2), which will take subsequent cis-trans conversion and dissociation to P2 (HOCHO + HNO), P3 (CH2O + HNO2), and P4 (CH2O + cis-HONO) with comparable yields. The obtained species CH2O in primary product P1 is in good agreement with kinetic detection in experiment. Because the intermediate and transition state involved in the most favorable pathway all lie blow the reactants, the CH2OH + NO2 reaction is expected to be rapid, as is confirmed by experiment. These calculations indicate that the title reaction proceeds mostly through singlet pathways; less go through triplet pathways. In addition, a mechanistic comparison is made with the reactions CH3 + NO2 and CH3O + NO2. The present results can lead us to deeply understand the mechanism of the title reaction and may be helpful for understanding NO2-combustion chemistry.

Laser induced fluorescence studies of iodine oxide chemistry : Part II. The reactions of IO with CH3O2, CF3O2 and O3

The technique of pulsed laser photolysis was coupled to laser induced fluorescence detection of iodine oxide (IO) to measure rate coefficients, k for the reactions IO + CH(3)O(2)--> products (R1, 30-318 Torr N(2)), IO + CF(3)O(2)--> products (R2, 70-80 Torr N(2)), and IO + O(3)--> OIO + O(2) (R3a). Values of k(1) = (2 +/- 1) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), k(2) = (3.6 +/- 0.8) x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), and k(3a) <5 x 10(-16) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) were obtained at T = 298 K. In the course of this work, the product yield of IO from the reaction of CH(3)O(2) with I was determined to be close to zero, whereas CH(3)OOI was formed efficiently at 70 Torr N(2). Similarly, no evidence was found for IO formation in the CF(3)O(2) + I reaction. An estimate of the rate coefficients k(CH(3)O(2) + I) = 2 x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) and k(CH(3)OOI + I) = 1.5 x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was also obtained. The results on k(1)-k(3) are compared to the limited number of previous investigations and the implications for the chemistry of the marine boundary layer are briefly discussed.

Kinetics of the Reactions of Chlorinated Methyl Radicals (CH2Cl, CHCl2, and CCl3) with NO2 in the Temperature Range 220−360 K

The kinetics of the reactions of chlorinated methyl radicals (CH2Cl, CHCl2, and CCl3) with NO2 have been studied in direct measurements at temperatures between 220 and 360 K using a tubular flow reactor coupled to a photoionization mass spectrometer. The radicals have been homogeneously generated at 193 or 248 nm by pulsed laser photolysis of appropriate precursors. Decays of radical concentrations have been monitored in time-resolved measurements to obtain the reaction rate coefficients under pseudo-first-order conditions with the amount of NO2 being in large excess over radical concentrations. The bimolecular rate coefficients of all three reactions are independent of the bath gas (He or N2) and pressure within the experimental range (1-6 Torr) and are found to depend on temperature as follows: k(CH2Cl + NO2) = (2.16 +/- 0.08) x 10(-11) (T/300 K)(-1.12+/-0.24) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (220-363 K), k(CHCl2 + NO2) = (8.90 +/- 0.16) x 10(-12) (T/300 K)(-1.48+/-0.13) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (220-363 K), and k(CCl3 + NO2) = (3.35 +/- 0.10) x 10(-12) (T/300 K)(-2.2+/-0.4) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (298-363 K), with the uncertainties given as one-standard deviations. Estimated overall uncertainties in the measured bimolecular reaction rate coefficients are about +/-25%. In the reactions CH2Cl + NO2, CHCl2 + NO2, and CCl3 + NO2, the products observed are formaldehyde, CHClO, and phosgene (CCl2O), respectively. In addition, a weak signal for the HCl formation has been detected for the CHCl2 + NO2 reaction.

IR Kinetic Spectroscopy Investigation of the CH4 + O(1D) Reaction

The branching of the title reaction into several product channels has been investigated quantitatively by laser infrared kinetic spectroscopy for CH(4) and CD(4). It is found that OH (OD) is produced in 67 +/- 5% (60 +/- 5%) yield compared to the initial O((1)D) concentration. H (D) product is produced in 30 +/- 10%(35 +/- 10%). H(2)CO is produced in 5% yield in the CH(4) system (it was not possible to measure the CD(2)O yield in the CD(4) case). D(2)O is produced in 8% yield in the CD(4) system (it was not feasible to measure the H(2)O yield). The ratio of the overall rate constant of the CD(4) reaction to the overall rate constant of the O((1)D) + N(2)O reaction was determined to be 1.2(5) +/- 0.1. A measurement of the reaction of O((1)D) with NO(2) gave 1.3 x 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) relative to the literature values for the rate constants of O((1)D) with H(2) and CH(4). Hot atom effects in O((1)D) reactions were observed.

Reflected Shock Tube Studies of High-Temperature Rate Constants for OH + CH4 → CH3 + H2O and CH3 + NO2 → CH3O + NO

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection of OH radicals at 308 nm has been used to study the reactions OH + CH(4) --> CH(3) + H(2)O and CH(3) + NO(2) --> CH(3)O + NO. Over the temperature range 840-2025 K, the rate constants for the first reaction can be represented by the Arrhenius expression k = (9.52 +/- 1.62) x 10(-11) exp[(-4134 +/- 222 K)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Since this reaction is important in both combustion and atmospheric chemistry, there have been many prior investigations with a variety of techniques. The present results extend the temperature range by 500 K and have been combined with the most accurate earlier studies to derive an evaluation over the extended temperature range 195-2025 K. A three-parameter expression describes the rate behavior over this temperature range, k = (1.66 x 10(-18))T(2.182) exp[(-1231 K)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Previous theoretical studies are discussed, and the present evaluation is compared to earlier theoretical estimates. Since CH(3) radicals are a product of the reaction and could cause secondary perturbations in rate constant determinations, the second reaction was studied by OH radical production from the fast reactions CH(3)O --> CH(2)O + H and H + NO(2) --> OH + NO. The measured rate constant is 2.26 x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) and is not dependent on temperature from 233 to 1700 K within experimental error.

Photolysis of methylethyl, diethyl and methylvinyl ketones and their role in the atmospheric HOx budget

Quantum yields for acyl (RCO) radical production from ketone photolysis as a function of temperature, pressure and the atmospherically relevant wavelengths (308 and 320 nm) have been determined for methylethyl ketone (MEK), methylvinyl ketone (MVK) and diethyl ketone (DEK) via direct observation of the OH product from the RCO + O2 reaction. The methodology has been applied previously to acetone photolysis. The kinetics and OH yields of the RCO + O2 reactions have been investigated to demonstrate that this technique can be used to monitor the dissociation of higher ketones. These kinetic studies have been used to confirm CH3CO + R as the dominant radical dissociation mechanism in the unsymmetrical ketones MVK and MEK. At 308 nm MEK and DEK photolysis follows conventional Stern Volmer behaviour. MEK and DEK are quenched less efficiently than acetone; quenching efficiency increases with decreasing temperature (213-295 K). At 320 nm Stern Volmer plots of the RCO quantum yields show evidence for the involvement of multiple states in the dissociation. The wavelength dependence of this phenomenon is compared with that for acetone and the atmospheric implications for MEK and DEK lifetimes have been investigated by converting the measured quantum yields to photolysis rates. The calculated rates under typical atmospheric conditions are a factor 2-3 lower than if the quantum yields in the literature are used, influencing both the overall atmospheric lifetime of these ketones and their relative rates of removal by reaction with OH and by photolysis.

Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of the methyl radical with nitrogen oxides

The radical-molecule reaction mechanism of CH3 with NOx (x = 1, 2) has been explored theoretically at the B3LYP/6-311Gd,p and MC-QCISD (single-point) levels of theory. For the singlet potential energy surface (PES) of the CH3 + NO2 reaction, it is found that the carbon to middle nitrogen attack between CH3 and NO2 can form energy-rich adduct a (H3CNO2) with no barrier followed by isomerization to b1 (CH3ONO-trans), which can easily convert to b2 (CH3ONO-cis). Subsequently, starting from b (b1, b2), the most feasible pathway is the direct N-O bond cleavage of b (b1, b2) leading to P1 (CH3O + NO) or the 1,3-H-shift and N-O bond rupture of b1 to form P2 (CH2O + HNO), both of which may have comparable contribution to the reaction CH3 + NO2. Much less competitively, b2 can take a concerted H-shift and N-O bond cleavage to form product P3 (CH2O + HON). Because the intermediates and transition states involved in the above three channels are all lower than the reactants in energy, the CH3 + NO2 reaction is expected to be rapid, as is consistent with the experimental measurement in quality. For the singlet PES of the CH3 + NO reaction, the major product is found to be P1 (HCN + H2O), whereas the minor products are P2 (HNCO + H2) and P3 (HNC +H2O). The CH3 + NO reaction is predicted to be only of significance at high temperatures because the transition states involved in the most feasible pathways lie almost above the reactants. Compared with the singlet pathways, the triplet pathways may have less contributions to both reactions. The present study may be helpful for further experimental investigation of the title reactions.