Activation of Methane by FeO+: Determining Reaction Pathways through Temperature-Dependent Kinetics and Statistical Modeling

Kinetics of O3 with Ca+ and Its Higher Oxides CaOn+ (n = 1-3) and Updates to a Model of Meteoric Calcium in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

The room-temperature rate constants and product branching fractions of CaO_n⁺ (n = 0-3) + O₃ are measured using a selected ion flow tube apparatus. Ca⁺ + O₃ produces CaO⁺ + O₂ with k = 9 ± 4 × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1, within uncertainty equal to the Langevin capture rate constant. This value is significantly larger than several literature values. Most likely, those values were underestimated due to the reformation of Ca⁺ from the sequential chemistry of higher calcium oxide cations with O₃, as explored here. A rate constant of 8 ± 3 × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1 is recommended. Both CaO⁺ and CaO₂⁺ react near the capture rate constant with ozone. The CaO⁺ reaction yields both CaO₂⁺ + O₂ (0.80 ± 0.15 branching) and Ca⁺ + 2O₂. Similarly, the CaO₂⁺ reaction yields both CaO₃⁺ + O₂ (0.85 ± 0.15 branching) and CaO⁺ + 2O₂. CaO₃⁺ + O₃ yield CaO₂⁺ + 2O₂ at 2 ± 1 × 10^-11 cm³ s^-1, about 2% of the capture rate constant. The results are supported using density functional calculations and statistical modeling. In general, CaO_n⁺ + O₃ yield CaO_n+1⁺ + O₂, the expected oxidation. Some fraction of CaO_n+1⁺ is produced with sufficient internal energy to further dissociate to CaO_n-1⁺ + O₂, yielding the same products as the oxidation of O₃ by CaO_n⁺. Mesospheric Ca and Ca⁺ concentrations are modeled as functions of day, latitude, and altitude using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM); incorporating the updated rate constants improves agreement with concentrations derived from lidar measurements.

Room-Temperature Conversion of Methane to Methanediol by [FeO2]. J Phys Chem Lett 2023;14:1633-1640. [PMID: 36752636 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Inspired by the activities of P-450 enzyme and Rieske oxygenases in nature, in which the high-valent Fe-oxo complexes play a key role for oxidation of alkanes, the oxidation process of methane by the high-valent iron oxide cation [FeO₂]⁺ has been explored by using Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry complemented by high-level quantum chemical calculations. In contrast to the previously reported [FeO]⁺/CH₄ and [Fe(O)OH]⁺/CH₄ systems, which afford [FeOH]⁺ as the main product, the generation of Fe⁺ dominates the reaction of [FeO₂]⁺ with CH₄. Theoretical calculations suggest a novel "oxygen rebound" pathway for the liberation of methanediol. In particular, the inevitable valence increase of Fe prior to C-H activation is similar to the cytochrome P-450 mediated processes. To our best knowledge, this study provides the first example of methane activation by the high-valent Fe(V)-oxo species in the gas phase, which may thus bridge the gas-phase model and the condensed-phase biosystems.

Temperature and energy dependences of ion-molecule reactions: Studies inspired by Diethard Böhme

Diethard Böhme has had a long career covering many topics in ion-molecule reactivity. In this review, we describe the work done at the Air Force Research Laboratory (and its variously named preceding organizations) that was inspired by his studies. These fall into two main areas: nucleophilic displacement (S_N 2) and metal cation chemistry. In S_N 2 chemistry, we revisited many of the reactions Diethard pioneered and studied them in more detail. We found nonstatistical behavior, both competition and noncompetition between multiple channels. New channels were found as hydration occurred, with more solution-like behavior occurring as only a few ligands were added. Temperature-dependent studies revealed details that were not observable at room temperature. These and other highlights will be discussed. In metal cation reactions, Diethard's use of an inductively coupled ion source allowed him to systematically study the periodic table of elements with a number of simple neutrals. We have taken the most interesting of these and studied them in greater detail. In doing so, we were able to identify curve crossing rates, in a few instances information about product states, and the importance of multiple entrance channels.

Effect of Intersystem Crossings on the Kinetics of Thermal Ion-Molecule Reactions: Ti+ + O2, CO2, and N2O

A selected-ion flow tube apparatus has been used to measure rate constants and product branching fractions of ²Ti⁺ reacting with O₂, CO₂, and N₂O over the range of 200-600 K. Ti⁺ + O₂ proceeds at near the Langevin capture rate constant of 6-7 × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1 at all temperatures to yield ⁴TiO⁺ + O. Reactions initiated on doublet or quartet surfaces are formally spin-allowed; however, the 50% of reactions initiated on sextet surfaces must undergo an intersystem crossing (ISC). Statistical theory is used to calculate the energy and angular momentum dependences of the specific rate constants for the competing isomerization and dissociation channels. This acts as an internal clock on the lifetime to ISC, setting an upper limit on the order of τ_ISC < 1e^-11 s. ²Ti⁺ + CO₂ produces ⁴TiO⁺ + CO less efficiently, with a rate constant fit as 5.5 ± 1.3 × 10^-11 (T/300)^{-1.1 ± 0.2} cm³ s^-1. The reaction is formally spin-prohibited, and statistical modeling shows that ISC, not a submerged transition state, is rate-limiting, occurring with a lifetime on the order of 10^-7 s. Ti⁺ + N₂O proceeds at near the capture rate constant. In this case, both Ti⁺ON₂ and Ti⁺N₂O entrance channel complexes are formed and can interconvert over a barrier. The main product is >90% TiO⁺ + N₂, and the remainder is TiN⁺ + NO. Both channels need to undergo ISC to form ground-state products but TiO⁺ can be formed in an excited state exothermically. Therefore, kinetic information is obtained only for the TiN⁺ channel, where ISC occurs with a lifetime on the order of 10^-9 s. Statistical modeling indicates that the dipole-preferred Ti⁺ON₂ complex is formed in ∼80% of collisions, and this value is reproduced using a capture model based on the generic ion-dipole + quadrupole long-range potential.

Study of the Reaction of Hydroxylamine with Iridium Atomic and Cluster Anions (n = 1-5)

Elucidating the multifaceted processes of molecular activation and subsequent reactions gives a fundamental view into the development of iridium catalysts as they apply to fuels and propellants, for example, for spacecraft thrusters. Hydroxylamine, a component of the well-known hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) ionic liquid, is a safer alternative and mimics the chemistry and performance standards of hydrazine. The activation of hydroxylamine by anionic iridium clusters, Ir_n^- (n = 1-5), depicts a part of the mechanism, where two hydrogen atoms are removed, likely as H₂, and Ir_n(NOH)^- clusters remain. The significant photoelectron spectral differences between these products and the bare clusters illustrate the substantial electronic changes imposed by the hydroxylamine fragment on the iridium clusters. In combination with DFT calculations, a preliminary reaction mechanism is proposed, identifying the possible intermediate steps leading to the formation of Ir(NOH)^-.

Thermal activation of methane by MgO+: temperature dependent kinetics, reactive molecular dynamics simulations and statistical modeling

The kinetics methane activation (MgO⁺ + CH₄) was studied experimentally and computationally by running and analyzing reactive atomistic simulations.

On the Role of Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) in Thermal Activation of Methane by MnO+: Entropy vs. Energy

The temperature dependent kinetics and product branching fractions of first-row transition metal oxide cation MnO+ with CH4 and CD4 at temperatures between 200 and 600 K are measured using a selected-ion flow tube apparatus. Likely reaction mechanisms are determined by comparison of temperature dependent kinetics to statistical modeling along calculated reaction coordinates. The data is well-modeled with the reaction proceeding over a rate limiting four-centered transition state leading to an insertion intermediate, similar to reactions of NiO+ and FeO+, and showing characteristics of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). However, a more direct pathway traversing a transition state of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) character to a hydroxyl intermediate is found to possibly be competitive, especially with increasing temperature. While uncertainties in calculated energetics limit quantitative assessment of the role of HAT at thermal energies, it is clear that this mechanism becomes increasingly prevalent in higher energy regimes.

Selective Generation of Free Hydrogen Atoms in the Reaction of Methane with Diatomic Gold Boride Cations

The thermal reaction of diatomic gold boride cation AuB+ with methane has been studied by using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry in conjunction with density functional theory calculations. The AuB+ ion can activate a methane molecule to produce exclusively the free hydrogen atom, an important intermediate in hydrocarbon transformation. This result is different from the reactivity of AuC+ and CuB+ counterparts with methane in previous studies. The AuC+ cation mainly transforms methane into ethylene. The CuB+ reaction system principally generates the free hydrogen atoms, but it also gives rise a portion of ethylene-like product H2B−CH2. The B atom of AuB+ is the active site to activate methane. The strong relativistic effect on gold plays an important role for the product selectivity. The mechanistic insights obtained from this study provide guidance for rational design of active sites with high product selectivity toward methane activation.

Temperature and Isotope Dependent Kinetics of Nickel-Catalyzed Oxidation of Methane by Ozone

The temperature dependent kinetics of Ni⁺ + O₃ and of NiO⁺ + CH₄/CD₄ are measured from 300 to 600 K using a selected-ion flow tube apparatus. Together, these reactions comprise a catalytic cycle converting CH₄ to CH₃OH. The reaction of Ni⁺ + O₃ proceeds at the collisional limit, faster than previously reported at 300 K. The NiO⁺ product reacts further with O₃, also at the collisional limit, yielding both higher oxides (up to NiO₅⁺ is observed) as well as undergoing an apparent reduction back to Ni⁺. This apparent reduction channel is due to the oxidation channel yielding NiO₂⁺* with sufficient energy to dissociate. ⁴NiO⁺ + CH₄ (CD₄) (whereas ⁴NiO⁺ refers to the quartet state of NiO⁺) proceeds with a rate constant of (2.6 ± 0.4) × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1 [(1.8 ± 0.5) × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1] at 300 K and a temperature dependence of ∼ T^-0.7±0.3 (∼ T^-1.1±0.4), producing only the ²Ni⁺ + ¹CH₃OH channel up to 600 K. Statistical modeling of the reaction based on calculated stationary points along the reaction coordinate reproduces the experimental rate constant as a function of temperature but underpredicts the kinetic isotope shift. The modeling was found to better represent the data when the crossing from quartet to doublet surface was incomplete, suggesting a possible kinetic effect in crossing from quartet to doublet surfaces. Additionally, the modeling predicts a competing ³NiOH⁺ + ²CH₃ channel to become increasingly important at higher temperatures.

Automated reaction path searches for spin-forbidden reactions

Many catalytic and biomolecular reactions containing transition metals involve changes in the electronic spin state. These processes are referred to as "spin-forbidden" reactions within nonrelativistic quantum mechanics framework. To understand detailed reaction mechanisms of spin-forbidden reactions, one must characterize reaction pathways on potential energy surfaces with different spin states and then identify crossing points. Here we propose a practical computational scheme, where only the lowest mixed-spin eigenstate obtained from the diagonalization of the spin-coupled Hamiltonian matrix is used in reaction path search calculations. We applied this method to the ^6,4 FeO⁺  + H₂ → ^6,4 Fe⁺  + H₂ O, ^6,4 FeO⁺  + CH₄ → ^6,4 Fe⁺  + CH₃ OH, and ⁷ Mn⁺  + OCS → ⁵ MnS⁺  + CO reactions, for which crossings between the different spin states are known to play essential roles in the overall reaction kinetics. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Temperature and Pressure Dependences of the Reactions of Fe+ with Methyl Halides CH3X (X = Cl, Br, I): Experiments and Kinetic Modeling Results

The pressure and temperature dependences of the reactions of Fe⁺ with methyl halides CH₃X (X = Cl, Br, I) in He were measured in a selected ion flow tube over the ranges 0.4 to 1.2 Torr and 300-600 K. FeX⁺ was observed for all three halides and FeCH₃⁺ was observed for the CH₃I reaction. FeCH₃X⁺ adducts (for all X) were detected in all reactions. The results were interpreted assuming two-state reactivity with spin-inversions between sextet and quartet potentials. Kinetic modeling allowed for a quantitative representation of the experiments and for extrapolation to conditions outside the experimentally accessible range. The modeling required quantum-chemical calculations of molecular parameters and detailed accounting of angular momentum effects. The results show that the FeX⁺ products come via an insertion mechanism, while the FeCH₃⁺ can be produced from either insertion or S_N2 mechanisms, but the latter we conclude is unlikely at thermal energies. A statistical modeling cannot reproduce the competition between the bimolecular pathways in the CH₃I reaction, indicating that some more direct process must be important.

Reactivity of 4Fe+(CO)n=0-2 + O2: oxidation of CO by O2 at an isolated metal atom

The kinetics of ⁴Fe⁺(CO)_n=0-2 + O₂ are measured under thermal conditions from 300-600 K using a selected-ion flow tube apparatus. Both the bare metal and n = 2 cations are inert to reaction over this temperature range, but ⁴Fe⁺(CO) reacts rapidly (k = 3.2 ± 0.8 × 10^-10 cm³ s^-1 at 300 K, 52% of the collisional rate coefficient) to form FeO⁺ + CO₂. This is an example of the oxidation of CO by O₂ occurring entirely on a single non-noble metal atom. The reaction of the bare metal reaction is known to be endothermic, such that this result is expected; however, the n = 2 reaction has highly exothermic product channels available, such that the lack of reaction is surprising in light of the n = 1 reactivity. Stationary points along all three reaction coordinates are calculated using the TPSSh hybrid functional. These surfaces show that the n = 1 reaction is an example of two-state reactivity; the reaction proceeds initially on the sextet surface over a submerged barrier to a structure with an O-O bond distance longer than that in O₂, but must cross to the quartet surface in order to proceed over a second submerged barrier to rearrange to form CO₂. The n = 2 reaction does not proceed because, on all spin surfaces, the transition state corresponding to O-O separation is at higher energy than the separated reactants. The difference between the n = 1 and n = 2 reactions is not a result of steric effects, but rather because the O₂ is more strongly bound to Fe in the entrance well of the n = 1 case, and that energy is available to overcome the rate-limiting barrier to O-O cleavage. Experimental verification of some of these details are provided by guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry results. The kinetic energy dependence of the n = 1 reaction shows evidence for a curve crossing and yields relevant thermochemistry for competing reaction channels.

Determining Rate Constants and Mechanisms for Sequential Reactions of Fe+ with Ozone at 500 K

We present rate constants and product branching ratios for the reactions of FeO_x⁺ (x = 0-4) with ozone at 500 K. Fe⁺ is observed to react with ozone at the collision rate to produce FeO⁺ + O₂. The FeO⁺ in turn reacts with ozone at the collision rate to yield both Fe⁺ and FeO₂⁺ product channels. Ions up to FeO₄⁺ display similar reactivity patterns. Three-body clustering reactions with O₂ prevent us from measuring accurate rate constants at 300 K although the data do suggest that the efficiency is also high. Therefore, it is probable that little to no temperature dependence exists over this range. Implications of our measurements to the regulation of atmospheric iron and ozone are discussed. Density functional calculations on the reaction of Fe⁺ with ozone show no substantial kinetic barriers to make the FeO⁺ + O₂ product channel, which is consistent with the reaction's efficiency. While a pathway to make FeO₂⁺ + O is also found to be barrierless, our experiments indicate no primary FeO₂⁺ formation for this reaction.

Ménage-à-trois: single-atom catalysis, mass spectrometry, and computational chemistry

Genuine, single-atom catalysis can be realized in the gas phase and probed by mass spectrometry combined with computational chemistry.

Analysis of the Pressure and Temperature Dependence of the Complex-Forming Bimolecular Reaction CH3OCH3 + Fe(.)

The kinetics of the reaction CH3OCH3 + Fe(+) has been studied between 250 and 600 K in the buffer gas He at pressures between 0.4 and 1.6 Torr. Total rate constants and branching ratios for the formation of Fe(+)O(CH3)2 adducts and of Fe(+)OCH2 + CH4 products were determined. Quantum-chemical calculations provided the parameters required for an analysis in terms of statistical unimolecular rate theory. The analysis employed a recently developed simplified representation of the rates of complex-forming bimolecular reactions, separating association and chemical activation contributions. Satisfactory agreement between experimental results and kinetic modeling was obtained that allows for an extrapolation of the data over wide ranges of conditions. Possible reaction pathways with or without spin-inversion are discussed in relation to the kinetic modeling results.

Reactivity from excited state (4)FeO(+) + CO sampled through reaction of ground state (4)FeCO(+) + N2O

The kinetics of the FeCO(+) + N2O reaction have been studied at thermal energies (300-600 K) using a variable temperature selected ion flow tube apparatus. Rate constants and product branching fractions are reported. The reaction is modestly inefficient, proceeding with a rate constant of 6.2 × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) at 300 K, with a small negative temperature dependence, declining to 4.4 × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) at 600 K. Both Fe(+) and FeO(+) products are observed, with a constant branching ratio of approximately 40:60 at all temperatures. Calculation of the stationary points along the reaction coordinate shows that only the ground state quartet surface is initially sampled resulting in N2 elimination; a submerged barrier along this portion of the surface dictates the magnitude and temperature dependence of the total rate constant. The product branching fractions are determined by the behavior of the remaining (4)OFeCO(+) fragment, and this behavior is compared to that found in the reaction of FeO(+) + CO, which initially forms (6)OFeCO(+). Thermodynamic and kinetic arguments are used to show that the spin-forbidden surface crossing in this region is efficient, proceeding with an average rate constant of greater than 10(12) s(-1).

Coupling an electrospray source and a solids probe/chemical ionization source to a selected ion flow tube apparatus

A new ion source region has been constructed and attached to a variable temperature selected ion flow tube. The source features the capabilities of electron impact, chemical ionization, a solids probe, and electrospray ionization. The performance of the instrument is demonstrated through a series of reactions from ions created in each of the new source regions. The chemical ionization source is able to create H3O(+), but not as efficiently as similar sources with larger apertures. The ability of this source to support a solids probe, however, greatly expands our capabilities. A variety of rhenium cations and dications are created from the solids probe in sufficient abundance to study in the flow tube. The reaction of Re(+) with O2 proceeds with a rate constant that agrees with the literature measurements, while the reaction of Re2(2+) is found to charge transfer with O2 at about 60% of the collision rate; we have also performed calculations that support the charge transfer pathway. The electrospray source is used to create Ba(+), which is reacted with N2O to create BaO(+), and we find a rate constant that agrees with the literature.

Statistical modeling of the reactions Fe+ + N2O → FeO+ + N2 and FeO+ + CO → Fe+ + CO2

The rates of the reactions Fe⁺ + N₂O → FeO⁺ + N₂ and FeO⁺ + CO → Fe⁺ + CO₂ are modeled by statistical rate theory accounting for energy- and angular momentum-specific rate constants for formation of the primary and secondary cationic adducts and their backward and forward reactions.