A Multiconformational Transition State Theory Approach to OH Tropospheric Degradation of Fluorotelomer Aldehydes

Experimental work on the OH-initiated oxidation reactions of fluorotelomer aldehydes (FTALs) strongly suggests that the respective rate coefficients do not depend on the size of the Cx F2x+1 fluoroalkyl chain. FTALs hence represent a challenging test to our multiconformer transition state theory (MC-TST) protocol based on constrained transition state randomization (CTSR), since the calculated rate coefficients should not show significant variations with increasing values of x ${x}$ . In this work we apply the MC-TST/CTSR protocol to thex = 2 , 3 ${x={\rm 2,3}}$ cases and calculate both rate coefficients at 298.15 K with a value ofk = ( 2 . 4 ± 1 . 4 ) × 10 - 12 ${k=(2.4\pm 1.4)\times {10}^{-12}}$  cm3  molecule-1  s-1 , practically coincident with the recommended experimental value of kexp =( 2 . 8 ± 1 . 4 ) × 10 - 12 ${(2.8\pm 1.4)\times {10}^{-12}}$  cm3  molecule-1  s-1 . We also show that the use of tunneling corrections based on improved semiclassical TST is critical in obtaining Arrhenius-Kooij curves with a correct behavior at lower temperatures.

The computational road to reactivity scales

Reactivity scales are useful research tools for chemists, both experimental and computational. However, to determine the reactivity of a single molecule, multiple measurements need to be carried out, which is a time-consuming and resource-intensive task. In this Tutorial Review, we present alternative approaches for the efficient generation of quantitative structure-reactivity relationships that are based on quantum chemistry, supervised learning, and uncertainty quantification. First published in 2002, we observe a tendency for these relationships to become not only more predictive but also more interpretable over time.

Computational Study on the Reaction of β-Hydroxyethylperoxy Radical with HO2 and Effects of Water Vapor

The reaction of β-hydroxyethylperoxy radical (β-HEP) and HO₂ with and without water was studied using quantum chemistry and kinetic calculations. The main products are HOCH₂CH₂OOH and ³O₂ for the reaction with and without water, while all other reaction channels can be neglected. The rate coefficients of the reaction follow negative temperature dependence. The pseudo-second-order rate coefficients are 2-4 orders of magnitude smaller for the reaction with saturated water vapor, indicating the negligible contribution of water in this reaction. This is probably also true for other peroxy radicals (except for HO₂), indicating that a large part of previous results on the water enhancement of reaction rate coefficients might have overestimated the influence of water.

Spiers Memorial Lecture: theory of unimolecular reactions

One hundred years ago, at an earlier Faraday Discussion meeting, Lindemann presented a mechanism that provides the foundation for contemplating the pressure dependence of unimolecular reactions. Since that time, our...

Simplified Protocol for the Calculation of Multiconformer Transition State Theory Rate Constants Applied to Tropospheric OH-Initiated Oxidation Reactions

Chemical kinetics plays a fundamental role in the understanding and modeling of tropospheric chemical processes, one of the most important being the atmospheric degradation of volatile organic compounds. These potentially harmful molecules are emitted into the troposphere by natural and anthropogenic sources and are chemically removed by undergoing oxidation processes, most frequently initiated by reaction with OH radicals, the atmosphere's "detergent". Obtaining the respective rate constants is therefore of critical importance, with calculations based on transition state theory (TST) often being the preferred choice. However, for molecules with rich conformational variety, a single-conformer method such as lowest-conformer TST is unsuitable while state-of-the-art TST-based methodologies easily become unmanageable. In this Feature Article, the author reviews his own cost-effective protocol for the calculation of bimolecular rate constants of OH-initiated reactions in the high-pressure limit based on multiconformer transition state theory. The protocol, which is easily extendable to other oxidation reactions involving saturated organic molecules, is based on a variety of freeware and open-source software and tested against a series of oxidation reactions of hydrofluoropolyethers, computationally very challenging molecules with potential environmental relevance. The main features, advantages and disadvantages of the protocol are presented, along with an assessment of its predictive utility based on a comparison with experimental rate constants.

Reactivity of α,ω-Dihydrofluoropolyethers toward OH Predicted by Multiconformer Transition State Theory and the Interacting Quantum Atoms Approach

We report rate constants for the tropospheric reaction between the OH radical and α,ω-dihydrofluoropolyethers, which represent a specific class of the hydrofluoropolyethers family with the formula HF₂C(OCF₂CF₂)_p(OCF₂)_qOCF₂H. Four cases were considered: p0q2, p0q3, p1q0, and p1q1 (pxqy denoting p = x and q = y) with the calculations performed by a cost-effective protocol developed for bimolecular hydrogen-abstraction reactions. This protocol is based on multiconformer transition state theory and relies on computationally accessible M08-HX/apcseg-2//M08-HX/pcseg-1 calculations. Within the protocol's approximations, the results show that (1) the calculated rate constants are within a factor of five of the experimental results (p1q0 and p1q1) and (2) the chain length and composition have a negligible effect on the rate constants, which is consistent with the experimental work. The interacting quantum atoms energy decomposition scheme is used to analyze the observed trends and extract chemical information related to the imaginary frequencies and barrier heights that are key parameters controlling the reactivity of the reaction. The intramolecular exchange-correlation contributions in the reactants and transition states were found to be the dominating factor.

Prediction of Rate Coefficients for the H2CO + OH → HCO + H2O Reaction at Combustion, Atmospheric and Interstellar Medium Conditions

Despite the relevance of the H₂CO + OH → HCO + H₂O reaction for combustion, atmospheric, and interstellar medium conditions, a large discrepancy on energetic and kinetic data for this reaction is still observed in the previous literature. In this work, this hydrogen abstraction reaction has been investigated at the CCSD(T)/CBS level of theory, suggesting that both the prebarrier complex and saddle point are stabilized in relation to the reactants by 3.31 and 1.35 kcal mol^-1, respectively. Moreover, from the Gibbs free energy profile of the reaction coordinate, it has been verified that the formation of the prebarrier complex is endergonic, for temperatures above 550 K. Hence, for temperatures lower than 550 K, the reaction is described by a mechanism consisting of three elementary steps, while for higher temperatures it can be assumed to be an elementary reaction. Finally, the prediction of rate coefficients suggests that unified statistical rate theory best applies to the low temperature regime, while canonical variational rate coefficients better fit experimental data at the high temperature regime.

An Exprimental and Computational Study on the Cl Atom Initiated Photo-Oxidization Reactions of Butenes in the Gas Phase

Temperature-dependent rate coefficients for the reactions of Cl atoms with trans-2-butene and isobutene were measured over the temperature range of 263-363 K using relative rate technique with reference to 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, and 1-pentene. The measured rate coefficients for the reactions of Cl atoms with isobutene and trans-2-butene are k_R1^298K= (3.43 ± 0.11) × 10^-10 and k_R2^298K = (3.20 ± 0.04) × 10^-10 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, respectively, at 298 K and 760 torr. Measured rate coefficients were used to fit the Arrhenius equations, which are obtained to be k_R1-Exp^269-363K = (4.99 ± 0.42) × 10^-11 exp[(584 ± 26)/T] and k_R2-Exp^269-363K = (1.11 ± 0.3) × 10^-10 exp[(291 ± 88)/T] cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 for isobutene and trans-2-butene, respectively. To understand the reaction mechanism, estimate the contribution of each reaction site, and to complement our experimental results, computational studies were also performed. Canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling in combination with MP2/6-31G(d), MP2/6-31G(d,p), MP2/6-31+G(d,p), CCSD(T)/cc-pvdz, and QCISD(T)/cc-pvdz level of theories were used to calculate the temperature-dependent rate coefficients over the temperature range of 200-400 K. The effective lifetimes, thermodynamic parameters, and atmospheric implications of the test molecules were also estimated.

Assessment of theoretical methods for the study of hydrogen abstraction kinetics of global warming gas species during their degradation and byproduct formation (IUPAC Technical Report)

Global climate change is a major concern as it leads to an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. The existence and persistence of some gaseous species in the atmosphere contribute to global warming. Experimental techniques are used to study the kinetics and degradation of global warming gases. However, quantum mechanical methods are also useful for the kinetic and radiative forcing study of global warming species and can precede experimental investigations. Research has also been targeted to develop more adapted procedures using ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) methods. This report provides a global perspective, in simplified manner, of the theoretical studies of the degradation of gas species in the atmosphere with an emphasis on the hydrogen abstraction kinetics of global warming gas species during their degradation and byproduct formation. En route, the results obtained from these studies are analysed and compared with experimental data where available. Our analyses indicate that the theoretical predictions are in agreement with experimental findings but the predicted parameters are dependent on the method being used. Theoretical methods are used to predict the thermodynamic parameters of reactions, and, with relevance to this report, the global warming potential (GWP) index can also be calculated. This report can be useful for future investigations involving global warming gaseous species while providing suggestions on how computations can fill in data gaps when experimental data are unavailable.

Mechanisms and reaction-path dynamics of hydroxyl radical reactions with aromatic hydrocarbons: the case of chlorobenzene

All geometries and energies significant for the first step of tropospheric degradation of chlorobenzene were characterized using the MP2/6-31+G(d,p) and G3 methods. A pre-reaction complex for the addition of OH radical to chlorobenzene was found and the associated transition state was determined for the first time. The reaction path for the association of OH radical and chlorobenzene into the pre-reaction complex was extrapolated from the selected low frequency normal mode of pre-reaction complex. The reaction rate constant for addition of OH radical to chlorobenzene was determined for the temperature range 230-330K, using RRKM theory and G3 energies. The calculated rate constants are in agreement with the experimental results. Regioselectivity was also determined for the title reaction from the ratio of respective reaction rates and our results are in very good agreement with the experimental results, which show the dominance of the ortho and para channels as well as a negligible contribution by the ipso channel.