Thermochemistry of Acetonyl and Related Radicals

Effective Molecular Descriptors for Chemical Accuracy at DFT Cost: Fragmentation, Error-Cancellation, and Machine Learning

Recent advances in theoretical thermochemistry have allowed the study of small organic and bio-organic molecules with high accuracy. However, applications to larger molecules are still impeded by the steep scaling problem of highly accurate quantum mechanical (QM) methods, forcing the use of approximate, more cost-effective methods at a greatly reduced accuracy. One of the most successful strategies to mitigate this error is the use of systematic error-cancellation schemes, in which highly accurate QM calculations can be performed on small portions of the molecule to construct corrections to an approximate method. Herein, we build on ideas from fragmentation and error-cancellation to introduce a new family of molecular descriptors for machine learning modeled after the Connectivity-Based Hierarchy (CBH) of generalized isodesmic reaction schemes. The best performing descriptor ML(CBH-2) is constructed from fragments preserving only the immediate connectivity of all heavy (non-H) atoms of a molecule along with overlapping regions of fragments in accordance with the inclusion-exclusion principle. Our proposed approach offers a simple, chemically intuitive grouping of atoms, tuned with an optimal amount of error-cancellation, and outperforms previous structure-based descriptors using a much smaller input vector length. For a wide variety of density functionals, DFT+ΔML(CBH-2) models, trained on a set of small- to medium-sized organic HCNOSCl-containing molecules, achieved an out-of-sample MAE within 0.5 kcal/mol and 2σ (95%) confidence interval of <1.5 kcal/mol compared to accurate G4 reference values at DFT cost.

Energetics and mechanisms for the acetonyl radical + O2 reaction: An important system for atmospheric and combustion chemistry

The acetonyl radical (^•CH₂COCH₃) is relevant to atmospheric and combustion chemistry due to its prevalence in many important reaction mechanisms. One such reaction mechanism is the decomposition of Criegee intermediates in the atmosphere that can produce acetonyl radical and OH. In order to understand the fate of the acetonyl radical in these environments and to create more accurate kinetics models, we have examined the reaction system of the acetonyl radical with O₂ using highly reliable theoretical methods. Structures were optimized using coupled cluster theory with singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] with an atomic natural orbital (ANO0) basis set. Energetics were computed to chemical accuracy using the focal point approach involving perturbative treatment of quadruple excitations [CCSDT(Q)] and basis sets as large as cc-pV5Z. The addition of O₂ to the acetonyl radical produces the acetonylperoxy radical, and multireference computations on this reaction suggest it to be barrierless. No submerged pathways were found for the unimolecular isomerization of the acetonylperoxy radical. Besides dissociation to reactants, the lowest energy pathway available for the acetonylperoxy radical is a 1-5 H shift from the methyl group to the peroxy group through a transition state that is 3.3 kcal mol^-1 higher in energy than acetonyl radical + O₂. The ultimate products from this pathway are the enol tautomer of the acetonyl radical along with O₂. Multiple pathways that lead to OH formation are considered; however, all of these pathways are predicted to be energetically inaccessible, except at high temperatures.

mHDFS-HoF: A generalized multilevel homodesmotic fragment-separation reaction based program for heat-of-formation calculation for acyclic hydrocarbons

Based on our modified classification of elemental species, a framework for automatic generation of multilevel Homodesmotic fragment-separation (mHDFS) reactions for chemical species was proposed. Combined the mHDFS framework with a database of heat of formation (HoF) and the calculated electronic structure data for the elemental mHD species, the mHDFS-HoF program was constructed in C/C++ language to calculate heat of formation for a species of interest on-the-fly. Using the electronic structure data calculated at CBS-QB3 level of theory for the elemental mHD species, applications and robustness of the code were discussed with several acyclic hydrocarbon systems including neutral and radical species. On-going work and extension to other systems were also discussed. The program and the supporting files can be freely downloaded at https://sites.google.com/view/mhdfs/. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Thermochemistry and kinetics for 2-butanone-1-yl radical (CH2·C(═O)CH2CH3) reactions with O2

Thermochemistry of reactants, intermediates, transition state structures, and products along with kinetics on the association of CH2·C(═O)CH2CH3 (2-butanone-1-yl) with O2 and dissociation of the peroxy adduct isomers are studied. Thermochemical properties are determined using ab initio (G3MP2B3 and G3) composite methods along with density functional theory (B3LYP/6-311g(d,p)). Entropy and heat capacity contributions versus temperature are determined from structures, vibration frequencies, and internal rotor potentials. The CH2·C(═O)CH2CH3 radical + O2 association results in a chemically activated peroxy radical with 27 kcal mol(-1) excess of energy. The chemically activated adduct can react to stabilized peroxy or hydroperoxide alkyl radical adducts, further react to lactones plus hydroxyl radical, or form olefinic ketones and a hydroperoxy radical. Kinetic parameters are determined from the G3 composite methods derived thermochemical parameters, and quantum Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel (QRRK) analysis to calculate k(E) with master equation analysis to evaluate falloff in the chemically activated and dissociation reactions. One new, not previously reported, peroxy chemistry reaction is presented. It has a low barrier path and involves a concerted reaction resulting in olefin formation, H2O elimination, and an alkoxy radical.

Extrapolation to the Gold-Standard in Quantum Chemistry: Computationally Efficient and Accurate CCSD(T) Energies for Large Molecules Using an Automated Thermochemical Hierarchy

The CCSD(T) method is known as the gold-standard in quantum chemistry and has been the method of choice in quantum chemistry for over 20 years to obtain accurate bond energies and molecular properties. Its computational cost formally scales as the seventh power of the size of the system and can be prohibitive for large molecules. As part of our efforts to reduce the computational cost of the CCSD(T) method yet retain its accuracy, we present a simple, efficient, and user-friendly protocol to extrapolate to CCSD(T) energies in conjunction with MP2 energies. The method is based on the automated error-canceling thermochemical hierarchy previously developed by us called the Connectivity-Based Hierarchy (CBH). For a test set containing 30 diverse nonaromatic organic molecules and biomonomers, we obtain highly accurate extrapolated CCSD(T) energies (with a mean absolute error of only 0.2-0.3 kcal/mol with different basis-set). Additionally, the work also features the successful extrapolation to CCSD energies using a similar protocol.

MECHANISM AND KINETICS OF THE CH3CH2C(O)OCH2CH3 + OH REACTION: A THEORETICAL STUDY

The hydrogen abstraction reaction of CH 3 CH 2 C(O)OCH 2 CH 3 + OH has been studied theoretically by dual-level direct dynamics method. Six H-abstraction channels were found for this reaction. The required potential energy surface information for the kinetic calculations was obtained at the MCG3-MPWB//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The rate constants were calculated by the improved canonical variational transition-state theory with small-curvature tunneling correction (ICVT/SCT) approach in the temperature range of 200–2000 K. It is shown that the "methylene H-abstraction" from the alkoxy end of the ester CH 3 CH 2 C(O)OCH 2 CH 3 is the dominant channel at lower temperature (< 400 K), while the other channels from the acetyl end should be taken into account as the temperature increases and become the competitive ones at higher temperature. The calculated global rate constants are in good agreement with the experimental ones in the measured temperature range and exhibit a negative temperature dependence below 500 K. A four-parameter rate constant expression was fitted from the calculated kinetic data between 200–2000 K.

Thermochemistry and Kinetics for 2-Butanone-3yl Radical (CH3C(=O)CH•CH3) Reactions with O2

Thermochemistry and chemical activation kinetics for the reaction of the secondary radical of 2-butanone, 2-butanone-3yl, with 3O2 are reported. Thermochemical and kinetic parameters are determined for reactants, transition states structures and intermediates. Standard enthalpies and kinetic parameters are evaluated using ab initio (G3MP2B3 and G3), density functional (B3LYP/6-311g(d,p)) calculations and group additivity (GA). The C–H bond energies are determined for the three carbons of the 2-butanone, showing that the C–H bond energy (BE) on the secondary carbon is low at 90.5 kcal mol−1. The CH3C(=O)CH•CH3 radical + O2 association results in chemically-activated peroxy radical with 26 kcal mol−1 excess of energy. The chemically activated adduct can dissociate to butanone-oxy radical + O, react back to butanone-yl + O2, form cyclic ethers or lactones, eliminate HO2 to form an olefinic ketone, or undergo rearrangement via intramolecular abstraction of hydrogen to form hydroperoxide and/or OH radicals. The hydroperoxide-alkyl radical intermediates can undergo further reactions forming cyclic ethers (lactones) and OH radicals. Quantum RRK analysis is used to calculate k(E) and master equation analysis is used for evaluation of pressure fall-off in these chemical activated reaction systems.

The chemistry of acetone at extreme conditions by density functional molecular dynamics simulations

Density functional molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in the NVT ensemble (moles (N), volume (V) and temperature (T)) on a system formed by ten acetone molecules at a temperature of 2000 K and density ρ = 1.322 g cm(-3). These conditions resemble closely those realized at the interface of an acetone vapor bubble in the early stages of supercompression experiments and result in an average pressure of 5 GPa. Two relevant reactive events occur during the simulation: the condensation of two acetone molecules to give hexane-2,5-dione and dihydrogen and the isomerization to the enolic propen-2-ol form. The mechanisms of these events are discussed in detail.

How strained are carbomeric-cycloalkanes?

The ring strain energies of carbomeric-cycloalkanes (molecules with one or more acetylene spacer units placed into carbon single bonds) are assessed using a series of isodesmic, homodesmotic, and hyperhomodesmotic chemical equations. Isodesmic bond separation reactions and other equations derived from the explicitly defined hierarchy of homodesmotic equations are insufficient for accurately determining these values, since not all perturbing effects (i.e., conjugation and hyperconjugation) are fully balanced. A set of homodesmotic reactions is proposed, which succeeds in balancing all stereoelectronic effects present within the carbomeric rings, allowing for a direct assessment of the strain energies. Values calculated from chemical equations are validated using an increment/additivity approach. The ring strain energy decreases as acetylene units are added, manifesting from the net stabilization gained by opening the C-CH(2)-C angle around the methylene groups and the destabilization arising from bending the C-C identical withC angles of the spacer groups. This destabilization vanishes with increasing parent ring size (i.e., the angle distortion is less in the carbomeric-cyclobutanes than in the carbomeric-cyclopropanes), leading to strain energies near zero for carbo(n)-cyclopentanes and carbo(n)-cyclohexanes.

A hierarchy of homodesmotic reactions for thermochemistry

Chemical equations that balance bond types and atom hybridization to different degrees are often used in computational thermochemistry, for example, to increase accuracy when lower levels of theory are employed. We expose the widespread confusion over such classes of equations and demonstrate that the two most widely used definitions of "homodesmotic" reactions are not equivalent. New definitions are introduced, and a consistent hierarchy of reaction classes (RC1-RC5) for hydrocarbons is constructed: isogyric (RC1) superset of isodesmic (RC2) superset of hypohomodesmotic (RC3) superset of homodesmotic (RC4) superset of hyperhomodesmotic (RC5). Each of these successively conserves larger molecular fragments. The concept of isodesmic bond separation reactions is generalized to all classes in this hierarchy, providing a unique sectioning of a given molecule for each reaction type. Several ab initio and density functional methods are applied to the bond separation reactions of 38 hydrocarbons containing five or six carbon atoms. RC4 and RC5 reactions provide bond separation enthalpies with errors consistently less than 0.4 kcal mol(-1) across a wide range of theoretical levels, performing significantly better than the other reaction types and far superior to atomization routes. Our recommended bond separation reactions are demonstrated by determining the enthalpies of formation (at 298 K) of 1,3,5-hexatriyne (163.7 +/- 0.4 kcal mol(-1)), 1,3,5,7-octatetrayne (217.5 +/- 0.6 kcal mol(-1)), the larger polyynes C(10)H(2) through C(26)H(2), and an infinite acetylenic carbon chain.

Thermochemistry and kinetics of acetonylperoxy radical isomerisation and decomposition: a quantum chemistry and CVT/SCT approach

CBS-QB3 calculations have been used to determine thermochemical and kinetic parameters of the isomerisation and decomposition reactions of the acetonylperoxy radical, CH3C(O)CH2OO* , which has been formed via the reaction of acetonyl radical with O2 leading to the formation of an energised peroxy adduct with a calculated well depth of near 111 kJ mol(-1). This species can undergo subsequent 1,5 and 1,3 H-shifts to give the primary and secondary radicals: C*H2C(O)CH2OOH and CH3C(O)C*HOOH, respectively, or rearrange to give a 3-methyl-1,2-dioxetan-3-yloxy radical. Rate constants for isomerisation and subsequent decomposition have been estimated using canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling cvt/sct. The variational effect for the isomerisation channels is only moderate but the tunneling correction is significant at temperatures up to 1000 K; the formation of a primary radical by a 1,5-shift is the main reaction channel and the competition with the secondary one starts only at around 1500 K. The fate of the primary acetonylhydroperoxy radical is predominantly to form oxetan-3-one while the ketene and 1-oxy-3-hydroxyacetonyl radical channels only compete with the formation of oxetan-3-one at temperatures >1200 K. In addition, consistent and reliable enthalpies of formation have been computed for the molecules acetonylhydroperoxide, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, methylglyoxal and cyclobutanone, and for some related radicals.

Enthalpies of formation and bond dissociation energies of lower alkyl hydroperoxides and related hydroperoxy and alkoxy radicals

The enthalpies of formation and bond dissociation energies, D(ROO-H), D(RO-OH), D(RO-O), D(R-O 2) and D(R-OOH) of alkyl hydroperoxides, ROOH, alkyl peroxy, RO, and alkoxide radicals, RO, have been computed at CBS-QB3 and APNO levels of theory via isodesmic and atomization procedures for R = methyl, ethyl, n-propyl and isopropyl and n-butyl, tert-butyl, isobutyl and sec-butyl. We show that D(ROO-H) approximately 357, D(RO-OH) approximately 190 and D(RO-O) approximately 263 kJ mol (-1) for all R, whereas both D(R-OO) and D(R-OOH) strengthen with increasing methyl substitution at the alpha-carbon but remain constant with increasing carbon chain length. We recommend a new set of group additivity contributions for the estimation of enthalpies of formation and bond energies.