Statistical adiabatic channel calculation of accurate low‐temperature rate constants for the recombination of OH radicals in their ground rovibronic state

Disproportionation Channel of the Self-reaction of Hydroxyl Radical, OH + OH → H2O + O, Revisited

The rate constant of the disproportionation channel 1a of the self-reaction of hydroxyl radicals OH + OH → H₂O + O (1a) was measured at ambient temperature as well as over an extended temperature range to resolve the discrepancy between the IUPAC recommended value (k_1a = 1.48 × 10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, discharge flow system, Bedjanian et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 1999, 103, 7017) and a factor of ca. 1.8 higher value by pulsed laser photolysis (2.7 × 10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, Bahng et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2007, 111, 3850, and 2.52 × 10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, Altinay et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2014, 118, 38). To resolve this discrepancy, the rate constant of the title reaction was remeasured in three laboratories using two different experimental techniques, namely, laser-pulsed photolysis-transient UV absorption and fast discharge flow system coupled with mass spectrometry. Two different precursors were used to generate OH radicals in the laser-pulsed photolysis experiments. The experiments confirmed the low value of the rate constant at ambient temperature (k_1a = (1.4 ± 0.2) × 10^-12 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 at 295 K) as well as the V-shaped temperature dependence, negative at low temperatures and positive at high temperatures, with a turning point at 427 K: k_1a = 8.38 × 10^-14 × (T/300)^1.99 × exp(855/T) cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 (220-950 K). Recommended expression over the 220-2384 K temperature range: k_1a = 2.68 × 10^-14 × (T/300)^2.75 × exp(1165/T) cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 (220-2384 K).

Reaction Profiles and Kinetics for Radical-Radical Hydrogen Abstraction via Multireference Coupled Cluster Theory

Radical-radical abstractions in hydrocarbon oxidation chemistry are disproportionation reactions that are generally exothermic with little or no barrier yet are underappreciated and poorly studied. Such challenging multireference electronic structure problems are tackled here using the recently developed state-specific multireference coupled cluster methods Mk-MRCCSD and Mk-MRCCSD(T), as well as the companion perturbation theory Mk-MRPT2 and the established MRCISD, MRCISD+Q, and CASPT2 approaches. Reaction paths are investigated for five prototypes involving radical-radical hydrogen abstraction: H + BeH → H₂+ Be, H + NH₂ → H₂ + NH, CH₃ + C₂H₅ → CH₄ + C₂H₄, H + C₂H₅ → H₂ + C₂H₄, and H + HCO → H₂ + CO. Full configuration interaction (FCI) benchmark computations for the H + BeH, H + NH₂, and H + HCO reactions prove that Mk-MRCCSD(T) provides superior accuracy for the interaction energies in the entrance channel, with mean absolute errors less than 0.3 kcal mol^-1 and percentage deviations less than 10% over the fragment separations of relevance to kinetics. To facilitate combustion studies, energetics for the CH₃ + C₂H₅, H + C₂H₅, and H + HCO reactions were computed at each level of theory with correlation-consistent basis sets (cc-pVXZ, X = T, Q, 5) and extrapolated to the complete basis set (CBS) limit. These CBS energies were coupled with CASPT2 projected vibrational frequencies along a minimum energy path to obtain rate constants for these three reactions. The rigorous Mk-MRCCSD(T)/CBS results demonstrate unequivocally that these three reactions proceed with no barrier in the entrance channel, contrary to some earlier predictions. Mk-MRCCSD(T) also reveals that the economical CASPT2 method performs well for large interfragment separations but may deteriorate substantially at shorter distances.

Hydroxyl Radical Self-Recombination Reaction and Absorption Spectrum in Water Up to 350 °C

The rate constant for the self-recombination of hydroxyl radicals (*OH) in aqueous solution giving H2O2 product has been measured from 150 to 350 degrees C by direct measurement of the *OH radical transient optical absorption at 250 nm. The values of the rate constant are smaller than previously predicted by extrapolation to the 200-350 degrees C range and show virtually no change in this range. In combining these measurements with previous results, the non-Arrhenius behavior can be well described in terms of the Noyes equation kobs-1 = kact-1+ kdiff-1, using the diffusion-limited rate constant kdiff estimated from the Smoluchowski equation and an activated barrier rate kact nearly equal to the gas-phase high-pressure limiting rate constant for this reaction. The aqueous *OH radical spectrum between 230 and 320 nm is reported up to 350 degrees C. A weak band at 310 nm grows in at higher temperature, while the stronger band at 230 nm decreases. An isosbestic point appears near 305 nm. We assign the 230 nm band to hydrogen-bonded *OH radical, and the 310 nm band is assigned to "free" *OH. On the basis of the spectrum change relative to room temperature, over half of the *OH radicals are in the latter form at 350 degrees C.

Correlation of Adiabatic States between Perturbed Rotor and Renner-Teller Limits for a Closed-Shell Ion + Open Shell Diatom System

The adiabatic channel interaction potentials for a system charge + dipole-open-shell-quadrupole linear rotor are calculated in the perturbed rotor and slightly anharmonic Renner-Teller limits. In both cases, first order charge-dipole and charge-quadrupole interactions are not additive; this leads to novel expressions for the energy levels. The result can be used in the construction of the adiabatic correlation diagrams between free rotor states with account for the