Chlorine peroxide (Cl2O2) and its isomers: structures, spectroscopy, formation and thermochemistry

High resolution spectroscopy of the ν1+ν3 band of the 35ClO2 free radical: Spin-rotation-vibration interactions

The high resolution spectrum of the ν₁+ν₃ band of the ³⁵ClO₂ free radical was recorded with a Bruker IFS 125HR Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and theoretically analysed with an improved theoretical basis including the reduced effective spin-rotation Hamiltonian (which takes into account sixth order operators describing spin-rotational interactions) and a newly created computer code ROVDES for the ro-vibrational spectra of open-shell free radicals. About 2600 spin-ro-vibrational transitions with the values N^max=59 and K_a^max=17 (being about 2.4 times higher in comparison with the number of assigned transitions known in the literature) were assigned to the ν₁+ν₃ band of ³⁵ClO₂ and 1049 spin-ro-vibrational energies (produced only from unblended non-saturated and not very weak experimental lines) of the (101) upper vibrational state were obtained. A set of 30 varied parameters of the effective spin-rotation-vibration Hamiltonian of the (101) vibrational state (vibrational energy, 17 rotational and centrifugal distortion parameters and 12 are spin-rotational ones) was determined from the weighted fit of parameters of the effective spin-rotational Hamiltonian in A-reduction and I^r-representation. The obtained set of parameters reproduces the initial 1049 "experimental" upper state energies with the d_rms=2.5×10^-4 cm^-1 which is close to the experimental uncertainty of the recorded spectra and is almost 70 times higher in comparison with the analogous reproduction of the same initial upper energies with the use of parameters from (J.Mol.Spectrosc.,158,347-356(1993)).

High resolution ro-vibrational analysis of molecules in doublet electronic states: the ν1 fundamental of chlorine dioxide (16O35Cl16O) in the X2B1 electronic ground state

We report the spectrum of the ν1 fundamental of chlorine dioxide centered in the infrared atmospheric window at 945.592 cm-1 measured with essentially Doppler limited resolution at an instrumental line width of 0.001 cm-1 using the Zürich prototype ZP2001 Bruker IFS 125 HR Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The ro-vibrational line analysis is carried out with an improved effective Hamiltonian and a newly developed computer code ROVDES for the ro-vibrational spectra of open-shell free radical molecules including spin-rotation interactions. Accurate values of rotational, centrifugal and spin-rotational parameters were determined for 16O35Cl16O in the vibronic ground state X2B1 from more than 3500 ground state combination differences. The 7239 assigned transitions for the ν1 fundamental with Nmax = 76 and Kmaxa = 26 provide a set of 32 accurate effective Hamiltonian parameters for the ν1 fundamental (v1v2v3) = (100) (21 rotational and centrifugal distortion parameters and 11 spin-rotational interaction parameters). This effective Hamiltonian (A - reduction and Ir - representation) reproduces 1703 upper state energies from the experiment with a root-mean-square deviation drms = 1.67 × 10-4 cm-1 and the 7239 transition wavenumbers with drms = 3.45 × 10-4 cm-1. Our results provide a considerable improvement over previous results with which we compare and should provide a benchmark for theoretical studies with applications to atmospheric spectroscopy and laser chemistry, which are discussed in relation to our spectra.

Dichlorine peroxide (ClOOCl), chloryl chloride (ClCl(O)O) and chlorine chlorite (ClOClO): very accurateab initiostructures and actinic degradation

The structural parameters of the three most stable isomers with formula Cl₂O₂, dichlorine peroxide, chloryl chloride and chlorine chlorite, were determined by high-levelab initiotheory. The photodissociation pathways were investigated.

Exploring the mechanism of hypochlorous acid decomposition in aqueous solutions

Hypochlorous acid is an intermediate in important industrial processes such as the production of chlorate but is also used for water treatment and disinfection. In aqueous solutions hypochlorous acid may decompose into oxygen or chlorate. Using density functional theory (DFT) modelling we have for the first time established detailed mechanisms for the respective decomposition pathways. Our calculations indicate, that both oxygen and chlorate formation proceed through an identical set of intermediates. At neutral pH the reaction is initiated by a fast equilibrium between HOCl, OCl^-, Cl₂O and Cl₃O₂^-. The subsequent abstraction of Cl^- to form Cl₂O₂ is rate determining for chlorate formation while it is the decomposition of Cl₂O₂ in the case of oxygen formation. Under alkaline conditions, OCl^- decomposition to chlorate proceeds through chlorite. This reaction path is significantly less active. The highest rate for chlorate or oxygen formation is found at pH 7.1. These results highlight the need to consider a complex mixture of different Cl species when addressing the chemistry of hypochlorous acid containing solutions.