Importance of Spin Channels from Radical-Radical Reactions in Hydrogen-Oxygen Combustion Mechanisms at High Temperatures

Radical-radical reactions can generate two channels with high and low spins. In this work, ten radical-radical reactions with different spin channels and four radical-molecule reactions in hydrogen-oxygen combustion were systematically investigated from a theoretical perspective. The potential energy surface (PES) of radical-radical reactions reveals that the high- and low-spin states of the reactant are energetically degenerate and the two channels are energetically feasible. The difference in rate constants between the high- and low-spin channels gradually decreases as the temperature increases. Then, the kinetic parameters of the 14 bimolecular reactions in the hydrogen-oxygen mechanism of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), were replaced to simulate the ignition delay time and laminar flame speed. The simulation results agree well with the available experimental findings, indicating the necessity of considering both high- and low-spin channels for kinetic simulation.

Construction of a Mode-Combination Hamiltonian under the Grid-Based Representation for the Quantum Dynamics of OH + HO2 → O2 + H2O

In this work, a systematic construction framework on a mode-combination Hamiltonian operator of a typical polyatomic reaction, OH + HO2 → O2 + H2O, is developed. First, a set of Jacobi coordinates are employed to construct the kinetic energy operator (KEO) through the polyspherical approach ( Phys. Rep. 2009, 484, 169). Second, due to the multiconfigurational electronic structure of this system, a non-adiabatic potential energy surface (PES) is constructed where the first singlet and triplet states are involved with spin-orbital coupling. To improve the training database, the training set of random energy data was optimized through a popular iterative optimization approach with extensive trajectories. Here, we propose an automatic trajectory method, instead of the classical trajectory on a crude PES, where the gradients are directly computed by the present ab initio calculations. Third, on the basis of the training set, the potential function is directly constructed in the canonical polyadic decomposition (CPD) form ( J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2021, 17, 2702-2713) which is helpful in propagating the nuclear wave function under the grid-based representation. To do this, the Gaussian process regression (GPR) approach for building the CPD form, called the CPD-GPR method ( J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 11128-11135) is adopted where we further revise CPD-GPR by introducing the mode-combination (mc) scheme leading to the present CPD-mc-GPR approach. Constructing the full-dimension non-adiabatic Hamiltonian operator with mode combination, as test calculations, the nuclear wave function is propagated to preliminarily compute the reactive probability of OH + HO2 → O2 + H2O where the reactants are prepared in vibrational ground states and in the first triplet electronic state.

New Measurements and Calculations on the Kinetics of an Old Reaction: OH + HO2 → H2O + O2

Literature rate coefficients for the prototypical radical-radical reaction at 298 K vary by close to an order of magnitude; such variations challenge our understanding of fundamental reaction kinetics. We have studied the title reaction at room temperature via the use of laser flash photolysis to generate OH and HO₂ radicals, monitoring OH by laser-induced fluorescence using two different approaches, looking at the direct reaction and also the perturbation of the slow OH + H₂O₂ reaction with radical concentration, and over a wide range of pressures. Both approaches give a consistent measurement of k_1,298K ∼1 × 10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, at the lowest limit of previous determinations. We observe, experimentally, for the first time, a significant enhancement in the rate coefficient in the presence of water, k_1,H2O, 298K = (2.17 ± 0.09) × 10^-28 cm⁶ molecule^-2 s^-1, where the error is statistical at the 1σ level. This result is consistent with previous theoretical calculations, and the effect goes some way to explaining some, but not all, of the variation in previous determinations of k_1,298K. Supporting master equation calculations, using calculated potential energy surfaces at the RCCSD(T)-F12b/CBS//RCCSD/aug-cc-pVTZ and UCCSD(T)/CBS//UCCSD/aug-cc-pVTZ levels, are in agreement with our experimental observations. However, realistic variations in barrier heights and transition state frequencies give a wide range of calculated rate coefficients showing that the current precision and accuracy of calculations are insufficient to resolve the experimental discrepancies. The lower value of k_1,298K is consistent with experimental observations of the rate coefficient of the related reaction, Cl + HO₂ → HCl + O₂. The implications of these results in atmospheric models are discussed.

The effect of (H2O)n (n = 1-3) clusters on the reaction of HONO with HCl: a mechanistic and kinetic study

The reaction between HONO and HCl is a possible pathway for the generation of ClNO, which is prone to photolyze, produce chlorine radicals, and accelerate the oxidation of tropospheric VOCs. Current experimental and theoretical studies have significant differences in rate constants under similar conditions. This study aims to examine the reasons for this difference. In this study, the effects of a single water molecule, water dimer, water trimer, excess HCl and excess HONO on the reaction mechanism of HONO + HCl were studied at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//M06-2X/6-311+G(2df,2p) level and the rate constants of each reaction channel were calculated. Our results showed that the reaction potential barrier of HONO with HCl was the lowest only when the water dimer was present, and the reaction rate constants were close to the experimental results, and both the cis-HONO⋯(H₂O)₂ + HCl and the trans-HONO⋯(H₂O)₂ + HCl reaction paths are likely to occur. We think that the reason for the inconsistency between experimental and theoretical results is that the water dimer is involved in the reaction in experiments.

Kinetics of the Organic Compounds and Ammonium Nitrogen Electrochemical Oxidation in Landfill Leachates at Boron-Doped Diamond Anodes

Electrochemical oxidation (EO) of organic compounds and ammonium in the complex matrix of landfill leachates (LLs) was investigated using three different boron-doped diamond electrodes produced on silicon substrate (BDD/Si)(levels of boron doping [B]/[C] = 500, 10,000, and 15,000 ppm—0.5 k; 10 k, and 15 k, respectively) during 8-h tests. The LLs were collected from an old landfill in the Pomerania region (Northern Poland) and were characterized by a high concentration of N-NH₄⁺ (2069 ± 103 mg·L⁻¹), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (3608 ± 123 mg·L⁻¹), high salinity (2690 ± 70 mg Cl⁻·L⁻¹, 1353 ± 70 mg SO₄²⁻·L⁻¹), and poor biodegradability. The experiments revealed that electrochemical oxidation of LLs using BDD 0.5 k and current density (j) = 100 mA·cm⁻² was the most effective amongst those tested (C_8h/C₀: COD = 0.09 ± 0.14 mg·L⁻¹, N-NH₄⁺ = 0.39 ± 0.05 mg·L⁻¹). COD removal fits the model of pseudo-first-order reactions and N-NH₄⁺ removal in most cases follows second-order kinetics. The double increase in biodegradability index—to 0.22 ± 0.05 (BDD 0.5 k, j = 50 mA·cm⁻²) shows the potential application of EO prior biological treatment. Despite EO still being an energy consuming process, optimum conditions (COD removal > 70%) might be achieved after 4 h of treatment with an energy consumption of 200 kW·m⁻³ (BDD 0.5 k, j = 100 mA·cm⁻²).

Catalytic effect of water and formic acid on the reaction of carbonyl sulfide with dimethyl amine under tropospheric conditions

CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ calculations were performed on the addition of amines [i.e. ammonia (NH₃), methyl amine (MA), and dimethyl amine (DMA)] to carbonyl sulfide (OCS), followed by transfer of the amine H-atom to either the S-atom or O-atom of OCS, assisted by a single water (H₂O) or a formic acid (FA) molecule, leading to the formation of the corresponding carbamothioic S- or O acids. For the OCS + NH₃ and OCS + MA reactions with or without the H₂O or FA, very high barriers were observed, making these reactions unfeasible. Interestingly, the barrier heights for the OCS + DMA reaction, involving H-atom transfer to either the S-atom or O-atom of OCS and assisted by a FA, were found to be -4.2 kcal mol^-1 and -3.9 kcal mol^-1, respectively, relative to those of the separated reactants. The barrier height values suggest that FA lowers the reaction barriers by ∼28.4 kcal mol^-1 and ∼35.9 kcal mol^-1 compared to the OCS + DMA reaction without the catalyst. Rate coefficient calculations were performed on the OCS + DMA reaction both without a catalyst, and assisted by a H₂O and a FA molecule using canonical variational transition state theory and small curvature tunneling at the temperatures between 200 and 300 K. The rate data show that the OCS + DMA + FA reaction proceeds through H-atom transfer to the S-atom of OCS, which was found to be ∼10³-10¹¹ and 10³-10¹⁰ times faster than the OCS + DMA and OCS + DMA + H₂O reactions, respectively, in the studied temperature range. For the same temperature range, the rate of the OCS + DMA + FA reaction was found to be ∼10⁸-10¹⁶ and 10³-10¹² times faster than the OCS + DMA and OCS + DMA + H₂O reactions in which H-atom transfer to the O-atom of OCS occurred. This suggests that the OCS + DMA reaction that is assisted by FA is more efficient than the H₂O assisted reaction. In addition, the rate of the OCS + DMA + FA reaction was found to be ∼10¹⁰ times slower than the OCS + ˙OH reaction at 298 K. This clarifies that the OCS + DMA + FA reaction may be feasible for the atmospheric removal of OCS under night-time forest fire conditions when the OCS and DMA concentrations are high and the ˙OH concentration is low.

Atmospheric Chemistry of CH2OO: The Hydrolysis of CH2OO in Small Clusters of Sulfuric Acid

The hydrolysis of CH₂OO is not only a dominant sink for the CH₂OO intermediate in the atmosphere but also a key process in the formation of aerosols. Herein, the reaction mechanism and kinetics for the hydrolysis of CH₂OO catalyzed by the precursors of atmospheric aerosols, including H₂SO₄, H₂SO₄···H₂O, and (H₂SO₄)₂, have been studied theoretically at the CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVDZ-F12//B3LYP/6-311+G(2df,2pd) level. The calculated results show that the three catalysts decrease the energy barrier by over 10.3 kcal·mol^-1; at the same time, the product formation of HOCH₂OOH is more strongly bonded to the three catalysts than to the reactants CH₂OO and H₂O, revealing that small clusters of sulfuric acid promote the hydrolysis of CH₂OO both kinetically and thermodynamically. Kinetic simulations show that the H₂SO₄-assisted reaction is more favorable than the H₂SO₄···H₂O- (the pseudo-first-order rate constant being 27.9-11.5 times larger) and (H₂SO₄)₂- (between 2.8 × 10⁴ and 3.4 × 10⁵ times larger) catalyzed reactions. Additionally, due to relatively lower concentration of H₂SO₄, the hydrolysis of CH₂OO with H₂SO₄ cannot compete with the CH₂OO + H₂O or (H₂O)₂ reaction within the temperature range of 280-320 K, since its pseudo-first-order rate ratio is smaller by 4-7 or 6-8 orders of magnitude, respectively. However, the present results provide a good example of how small clusters of sulfuric acid catalyze the hydrolysis of an important atmospheric species.

Influence of Water on the Gas-Phase Reaction of Dimethyl Sulfide with BrO in the Marine Boundary Layer

The effect of a single water molecule on the reaction of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) with BrO reaction has been investigated using quantum chemical calculations at the CCSD(T)/6-311++G**//BH&HLYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. Two reaction mechanisms have been considered both in the absence and the presence of water, namely, oxygen atom transfer and hydrogen abstraction, among which the oxygen atom transfer was predominant. Five reaction channels were found in the absence of water, in which the channels starting from the cis-configuration of the pre-reaction complexes were more favorable because of the low energy barrier. The inclusion of water slightly decreased the energy barrier height of most oxygen atom transfer channels, while making the hydrogen abstraction channels more complex. While the effective rate coefficients for the oxygen atom transfer paths are found to have decreased by 3-7 orders of magnitude in the presence of water relative to the water-free reactions, the negligible fraction of reactants that are effectively clustered with water does not significantly change the overall rate of the formation of dimethyl sulfoxide and Br. The present results show that the overall mechanism and rate of the DMS + BrO reaction may not be affected by humidity under atmospheric conditions.

Kinetic study of the OH + HO2 → H2O + O2 reaction using ring polymer molecular dynamics and quantum dynamics

The reaction OH + HO2 → H2O + O2 is a prototype of radical-radical reactions. It plays an important role in interstellar/atmospheric chemistry and combustion, and considerable attention has thus been dedicated to its kinetics. In our previous work, we reported an accurate full-dimensional potential energy surface for the title reaction on the ground triplet electronic state. The quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) approach was employed to investigate its kinetics. Although the QCT rate coefficients were in good agreement with some experimental and theoretical results, QCT cannot account for the quantum mechanical effects, such as zero-point vibrational energy, recrossing, and tunneling, which may significantly affect the rate coefficients, particularly at low temperatures. In this work, the reduced-dimensional quantum dynamics and ring polymer molecular dynamics calculations were carried out to examine these effects and their impact on rate coefficients over the temperature range of 300-1300 K.

Effect of water on the oxidation of CO by a Criegee intermediate

The present work employs the CCSD(T)/CBS//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory to investigate the effect of a water monomer and dimer on the oxidation of carbon-monoxide by a Criegee intermediate (CH2OO). The present work suggests that in the presence of a water monomer the energy barrier of the title reaction reduced to ∼3.4 kcal mol-1 from the corresponding uncatalyzed barrier (∼12.4 kcal mol-1), whereas, in the presence of a water dimer it became as low as ∼-3.2 kcal mol-1. It has also been found that, in the presence of catalysts, additional channels become available from which the title reaction can proceed. The estimated values of rate constants suggest that within the temperature range of 210-320 K, the effective bimolecular rate constant for the water monomer catalyzed channel is 10 to 100 times lower than the bimolecular rate constant of the uncatalyzed channel, whereas in the case of the water dimer it is ∼5-10 times higher than that of the uncatalyzed channel.

Effect of NH3 and HCOOH on the H2O2 + HO → HO2 + H2O reaction in the troposphere: competition between the one-step and stepwise mechanisms

The H₂O₂ + HO → HO₂ + H₂O reaction is an important reservoir for both radicals of HO and HO₂ catalyzing the destruction of O₃. Here, this reaction assisted by NH₃ and HCOOH catalysts was explored using the CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVDZ-F12//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ method and canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling. Two possible sets of mechanisms, (i) one-step routes and (ii) stepwise processes, are possible. Our results show that in the presence of both NH₃ and HCOOH catalysts under relevant atmospheric temperature, mechanism (i) is favored both energetically and kinetically than the corresponding mechanism (ii). At 298 K, the relative rate for mechanism (i) in the presence of NH₃ (10, 2900 ppbv) and HCOOH (10 ppbv) is respectively 3–5 and 2–4 orders of magnitude lower than that of the water-catalyzed reaction. This is due to a comparatively lower concentration of NH₃ and HCOOH than H₂O which indicates the positive water effect under atmospheric conditions. Although NH₃ and HCOOH catalysts play a negligible role in the reservoir for both radicals of HO and HO₂ catalyzing the destruction of O₃, the current study provides a comprehensive example of how acidic and basic catalysts assisted the gas-phase reactions.

The H₂O₂ + HO → HO₂ + H₂O reaction is an important reservoir for both radicals of HO and HO₂ catalyzing the destruction of O₃.

Dynamics and kinetics of the OH + HO2 → H2O + O2 (1Δg) reaction on a global full-dimensional singlet-state potential energy surface

The reaction dynamics and kinetics of OH + HO₂ → H₂O + O₂ on the singlet state were revealed by theory, based on an accurate full-dimensional PES.

Atmospheric chemistry of the self-reaction of HO2 radicals: stepwise mechanism versus one-step process in the presence of (H2O)n (n = 1-3) clusters

The effects of water on radical-radical reactions are of great importance for the elucidation of the atmospheric oxidation process of free radicals. In the present work, the HO2 + HO2 reactions with (H2O)n (n = 1-3) have been investigated using quantum chemical methods and canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling. We have explored both one-step and stepwise mechanisms, in particular the stepwise mechanism initiated by ring enlargement. The calculated results have revealed that the stepwise mechanism is the dominant one in the HO2 + HO2 reaction that is catalyzed by one water molecule. This is because its pseudo-first-order rate constant (kRWM1') is 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of the corresponding one-step mechanism. Additionally, the value of kRWM1' at 298 K has been found to be 4.3 times larger than that of the rate constant of the HO2 + HO2 reaction (kR1) without catalysts, which is in good agreement with the experimental findings. The calculated results also showed that the stepwise mechanism is still dominant in the (H2O)2 catalyzed reaction due to its higher pseudo-first-order rate constant, which is 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of the corresponding one-step mechanism. On the other hand, the one-step process is much faster than the stepwise mechanism by a factor of 105-106 in the (H2O)3 catalyzed reaction. However, the pseudo-first-order rate constants for the (H2O)2 and (H2O)3-catalyzed reactions are lower than that of the H2O-catalyzed reaction by 3-4 orders of magnitude, which indicates that the water monomer is the most efficient one among all the catalysts of (H2O)n (n = 1-3). The present results have provided a definitive example that water and water clusters have important influences on atmospheric reactions.

Effects of water, ammonia and formic acid on HO2 + Cl reactions under atmospheric conditions: competition between a stepwise route and one elementary step

Quantum chemical calculations at M06-2X and CCSD(T) levels of theory have been performed to investigate the effects of H2O, NH3, and HCOOH on the HO2 + Cl → HCl + O2 reaction. The results show that catalyzed reactions with three catalysts could proceed through two different mechanisms, namely a stepwise route and one elementary step, where the former reaction is more favorable than the latter. Meanwhile, for the stepwise route, a single hydrogen atom transfer pathway in the presence of all catalysts has more advantages than the respective double hydrogen atom transfer pathway. Then, the relative impacts of catalysts under tropospheric conditions were investigated by considering the temperature dependence of the rate constants and the altitude dependence of catalyst concentrations. The calculated results show that at 0 km altitude, the HO2 + Cl → HCl + O2 reaction with catalysts, such as H2O, NH3, or HCOOH, cannot compete with the reaction without a catalyst, as the effective rate constant with a catalyst is smaller by 2-6 orders of magnitude than the naked reaction within the temperature range 280-320 K. The calculated results also show that at altitudes of 5, 10 and 15 km, the effective rate constant of the HCOOH-catalyzed reaction increases obviously with an increase in altitude. At 15 km altitude, its value is up to 9.63 × 10-11 cm3 per molecule per s, which is close to the corresponding value of the reaction without a catalyst, showing that the contribution of HCOOH to the HO2 + Cl → HCl + O2 reaction cannot be neglected at high altitudes. The new findings in this investigation are not only of great necessity and importance for elucidating the gas-phase reaction of HO2 with Cl in the presence of acidic, neutral and basic catalysts, but are also of great interest for understanding the importance of other types of hydrogen abstraction in the atmosphere.

Role of (H2O) n (n = 1-2) in the Gas-Phase Reaction of Ethanol with Hydroxyl Radical: Mechanism, Kinetics, and Products

The effect of water on the hydrogen abstraction mechanism and product branching ratio of CH₃CH₂OH + ^•OH reaction has been investigated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//BH&HLYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory, coupled with the reaction kinetics calculations, implying the harmonic transition-state theory. Depending on the hydrogen sites in CH₃CH₂OH, the bared reaction proceeds through three elementary paths, producing CH₂CH₂OH, CH₃CH₂O, and CH₃CHOH and releasing a water molecule. Thermodynamic and kinetic results indicate that the formation of CH₃CHOH is favored over the temperature range of 216.7-425.0 K. With the inclusion of water, the reaction becomes quite complex, yielding five paths initiated by three channels. The products do not change compared with the bared reaction, but the preference for forming CH₃CHOH drops by up to 2%. In the absence of water, the room temperature rate coefficients for the formation of CH₂CH₂OH, CH₃CH₂O, and CH₃CHOH are computed to be 5.2 × 10^-13, 8.6 × 10^-14, and 9.0 × 10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, respectively. The effective rate coefficients of corresponding monohydrated and dihydrated reactions are 3-5 and 6-8 orders of magnitude lower than those of the unhydrated reaction, indicating that water has a decelerating effect on the studied reaction. Overall, the characterized effects of water on the thermodynamics, kinetics, and products of the CH₃CH₂OH + ^•OH reaction will facilitate the understanding of the fate of ethanol and secondary pollutants derived from it.

Anomalous kinetics of the reaction between OH and HO2on an accurate triplet state potential energy surface

The quasi-classical trajectory predicts the rate coefficient of the OH + HO₂→ H₂O + O₂reaction based on a full dimensional accurate PIP-NN PES, which is fit to 108 000 points calculated at the CCSD(T)-F12a/AVTZ level.

Catalytic effect of (H2O) n (n = 1-3) on the HO2 + NH2 → NH3 + 3O2 reaction under tropospheric conditions

The effects of (H2O) n (n = 1-3) clusters on the HO2 + NH2 → NH3 + 3O2 reaction have been investigated by employing high-level quantum chemical calculations with M06-2X and CCSD(T) theoretical methods, and canonical variational transition (CVT) state theory with small curvature tunneling (SCT) correction. The calculated results show that two kinds of reaction, HO2⋯(H2O) n (n = 1-3) + NH2 and H2N⋯(H2O) n (n = 1-3) + HO2, are involved in the (H2O) n (n = 1-3) catalyzed HO2 + NH2 → NH3 + 3O2 reaction. Due to the fact that HO2⋯(H2O) n (n = 1-3) complexes have much larger stabilization energies and much higher concentrations than the corresponding complexes of H2N⋯(H2O) n (n = 1-3), the atmospheric relevance of the former reaction is more obvious with its effective rate constant of about 1-11 orders of magnitude faster than the corresponding latter reaction at 298 K. Meanwhile, due to the effective rate constant of the H2O⋯HO2 + NH2 reaction being respectively larger by 5-6 and 6-7 orders of magnitude than the corresponding reactions of HO2⋯(H2O)2 + NH2 and HO2⋯(H2O)3 + NH2, the catalytic effect of (H2O) n (n = 1-3) is mainly taken from the contribution of the water monomer. In addition, the enhancement factor of the water monomer is 10.06-13.30% within the temperature range of 275-320 K, which shows that at whole calculated temperatures, a positive water effect is obvious under atmospheric conditions.

The Role of (H₂O)1-2 in the CH₂O + ClO Gas-Phase Reaction

Mechanism and kinetic studies have been carried out to investigate whether one and two water molecules could play a possible catalytic role on the CH₂O + ClO reaction. Density functional theory combined with the coupled cluster theory were employed to explore the potential energy surface and the thermodynamics of this radical-molecule reaction. The reaction proceeded through four different paths without water and eleven paths with water, producing H + HCO(O)Cl, Cl + HC(O)OH, HCOO + HCl, and HCO + HOCl. Results indicate that the formation of HCO + HOCl is predominant both in the water-free and water-involved cases. In the absence of water, all the reaction paths proceed through the formation of a transition state, while for some reactions in the presence of water, the products were directly formed via barrierless hydrogen transfer. The rate constant for the formation of HCO + HOCl without water is 2.6 × 10-16 cm³ molecule-1 s-1 at 298.15 K. This rate constant is decreased by 9-12 orders of magnitude in the presence of water. The current calculations hence demonstrate that the CH₂O + ClO reaction is impeded by water.