Can quasiclassical trajectory calculations reproduce the extreme kinetic isotope effect observed in the muonic isotopologues of the H + H2 reaction?

Influence of vibration in the reactive scattering of D + MuH: the effect of dynamical bonding

The dynamics of the D + MuH(v = 1) reaction has been investigated using time-independent quantum mechanical calculations. The total reaction cross sections and rate coefficients have been calculated for the two exit channels of the reaction leading, respectively, to DMu + H and DH + Mu. Over the 100-1000 K temperature range investigated the rate coefficients for the DMu + H channel are of the order of 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1) and those for the DH + Mu channel vary between 1 × 10(-12) and 8 × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1). These results point to a virtually barrierless reaction for the DMu + H channel and to the presence of a comparatively small barrier for the DH + Mu channel and are consistent with the profiles of their respective collinear vibrationally adiabatic potentials (VAPs). The effective barrier in the VAP of the DH + Mu channel is located in the reactant valley and, consequently, translation is found to be more efficient than vibration for the promotion of the reaction over a large energy interval in the post threshold region. Below this barrier, the DH + Mu channel can be accessible through an indirect mechanism implying crossing from the DMu + H pathway. The most salient feature found in the present study is revealed in the total reaction cross section for the DMu + H channel, which shows a sharp resonance caused by the presence of a deep well in the vibrationally adiabatic potential. This well has a dynamical origin, reminiscent of that found recently in the vibrationally bonded BrMuBr complex [Fleming, et al., Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2014, 53, 1], and is due to the stabilizing effect of the light Mu atom oscillating between the heavier H and D isotopes and to the bond softening associated with vibrational excitation of MuH.

Rate constants for the slow Mu + propane abstraction reaction at 300 K by diamagnetic RF resonance

The rate constant for the slow Mu + propane abstraction reaction has been determined by diamagnetic RF resonance. The curves show simulations of the μSR resonance signal. This study provides an important new test of reaction rate theory for the alkanes.

The effect of the reactant internal excitation on the dynamics of the C(+) + H2 reaction

We have performed a dynamical study of the endothermic and barrierless C(+) + H2((1)Σg(+)) → CH(+)((1)Σg(+)) + H reaction for different initial rotational states of the H2(v = 0) and H2(v = 1) manifolds. The calculations have been carried out using quasiclassical trajectories and the Gaussian binning methodology on a recent potential energy surface [R. Warmbier and R. Schneider, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2011, 13, 10285]. Both state-selected integral cross sections as a function of the collision energy and rate coefficients, kv,j(T), have been determined. We show that rotational excitation of the reactants is as effective as vibrational excitation when it comes to increasing the reactivity, and that both types of excitation could contribute to explain the unexpectedly high abundance of CH(+) in the interstellar media. Such an increase in reactivity takes place by suppressing the reaction threshold when the internal energy is sufficient to overcome the endothermicity. Whenever this is the case, the excitation functions at collision energies Ecoll ≤ 0.1 eV display a ∝E(-1/2)coll dependence. However, the absolute values of the state selected kv=1(T) are one order of magnitude below the Langevin model predictions. The disagreement between the approximately derived experimental rate coefficients for v = 1 and those calculated by this and previous theoretical treatments is due to the neglect of the effect of the rotational excitation in the derivation of the former. In spite of the deep well present in the potential energy surface, the reaction does not show a statistical behaviour.

Isotopes and analogs of hydrogen--from fundamental investigations to practical applications

Hydrogen has a central role in the story of the universe itself and also in the story of our efforts to understand it. This paper retells the story of the part played by hydrogen and its stable isotope deuterium in the primordial synthesis of the elements, then goes on to describe how the spectrum of atomic hydrogen led to insights into the laws governing matter at the most fundamental level, from the quantum mechanics of Schrödinger and Heisenberg, through quantum electrodynamics, to the most recent work investigating the underlying structure of the proton itself. Atomic hydrogen is unique among the elements in that the concept of isotopy--atoms having the same nuclear charge but different masses--is stretched to its limit in the isotopes of hydrogen, ranging from the well-known isotopes deuterium and tritium to exotic species such as muonium, muonic helium, and positronium. These atoms, or atom-like objects, have much to tell us about fundamental aspects of the universe. In recent years the idea of utilizing hydrogen either as an energy source (through nuclear fusion) or as an energy storage medium (bound in hydrides or other materials) has attracted much attention as a possible avenue to a post-oil energy future. Some of the more interesting recent developments are described here. Dedicated to the memory of Brian C. Webster (1939-2008).

Dynamics of the reactions of muonium and deuterium atoms with vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules: tunneling and vibrational adiabaticity

Quantum mechanical (QM) and quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations have been carried out for the exchange reactions of D and Mu (Mu = muonium) with hydrogen molecules in their ground and first vibrational states. In all the cases considered, the QM rate coefficients, k(T), are in very good agreement with the available experimental results. In particular, QM calculations on the most accurate potential energy surfaces (PESs) predict a rate coefficient for the Mu + H(2) (ν = 1) reaction which is very close to the preliminary estimate of its experimental value at 300 K. In contrast to the D + H(2) (ν = 0,1) and the Mu + H(2) (ν = 0) reactions, the QCT calculations for Mu + H(2) (ν = 1) predict a much smaller k(T) than that obtained with the accurate QM method. This behaviour is indicative of tunneling. The QM reaction probabilities and total reactive cross sections show that the total energy thresholds for the reactions of Mu with H(2) in ν = 0 and ν = 1 are very similar, whereas for the corresponding reaction with D the ν = 0 total energy threshold is about 0.3 eV lower than that for ν = 1. The results just mentioned can be explained by considering the vibrational adiabatic potentials along the minimum energy path. The threshold for the reaction of Mu with H(2) in both ν = 0 and ν = 1 states is the same and is given by the height of the ground vibrational adiabatic collinear potential, whereas for the D + H(2) reaction the adiabaticity is preserved and the threshold for the reaction in ν = 1 is very close to the height of the ν = 1 adiabatic collinear barrier. For Mu + H(2) (ν = 1) the reaction takes place by crossing from the ν = 1 to the ν = 0 adiabat, since the exit channel leading to MuH (ν = 1) is not energetically accessible. At the lowest possible energies, the non-adiabatic vibrational crossing implies a strong tunneling effect through the ν = 1 adiabatic barrier. Absence of tunneling in the classical calculations results in a threshold that coincides with the height of the ν = 1 adiabatic barrier. Most interestingly, the expected tunneling effect in the reaction of Mu with hydrogen molecules occurs for H(2) (ν = 1) but not for H(2) (ν = 0) where zero-point-energy effects clearly dominate.

Chemical Reaction Rates from Ring Polymer Molecular Dynamics: Zero Point Energy Conservation in Mu + H2 → MuH + H

A fundamental issue in the field of reaction dynamics is the inclusion of the quantum mechanical (QM) effects such as zero point energy (ZPE) and tunneling in molecular dynamics simulations, and in particular in the calculation of chemical reaction rates. In this work we study the chemical reaction between a muonium atom and a hydrogen molecule. The recently developed ring polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) technique is used, and the results are compared with those of other methods. For this reaction, the thermal rate coefficients calculated with RPMD are found to be in excellent agreement with the results of an accurate QM calculation. The very minor discrepancies are within the convergence error even at very low temperatures. This exceptionally good agreement can be attributed to the dominant role of ZPE in the reaction, which is accounted for extremely well by RPMD. Tunneling only plays a minor role in the reaction.