Computation of rate coefficients in solutions based on transition state theory combined with a heuristically corrected polarizable continuum model: intermolecular Diels-Alder reactions as case studies.

Transition state theory (TST) based on activation parameters computed using quantum mechanics calculations combined with the polarizable continuum model (QM/PCM) is a fundamental tool for investigating reaction rates in the liquid phase. In conventional QM/PCM methods, thermodynamic data and partition functions for a solute are often derived from a quasi-ideal gas treatment (IGT) widely implemented in commercially available computation packages. This approach tends to overestimate entropy because calculations of thermodynamic parameters in the liquid phase ignore hindered translational and rotational modes in real solutions.

Computation of entropy values for non-electrolyte solute molecules in solution based on semi-empirical corrections to a polarized continuum model.

A simple heuristic model was developed for estimating the entropy of a solute molecule in an ideal solution based on quantum mechanical calculations with polarizable continuum models (QM/PCMs). A translational term was incorporated that included free-volume compensation for the Sackur-Tetrode equation and a rotational term was modeled based on the restricted rotation of a dipole in an electrostatic field. The configuration term for the solute at a given concentration was calculated using a simple lattice model that considered the number of configurations of the solute within the lattice.

A simple heuristic approach to estimate the thermochemistry of condensed-phase molecules based on the polarizable continuum model.

A simple model based on a quantum chemical approach with polarizable continuum models (PCMs) to provide reasonable translational and rotational entropies for liquid phase molecules was developed. A translational term was evaluated with free-volume compensation for the Sackur-Tetrode equation. We assumed that the free-volume corresponds to the cavity volume in the PCM.

Initial Decomposition Pathways of Aqueous Hydroxylamine Solutions.

This work examined the reaction pathways involved in the initial decomposition of aqueous hydroxylamine solutions via the overall reaction, 2NHOH → NH + HNO + HO, using quantum chemistry calculations incorporating solvent effects. Several possible decomposition mechanisms were identified and investigated: three neutral-neutral bimolecular, two water-catalyzed, one neutral trimolecular, two ion-neutral bimolecular, and one cation-catalyzed. Optimized structures for the reactants, products, and transition states were obtained at the ωB97XD/6-311++G(d,p)/SCRF = (solvent = water) level of theory, and the total electron energies of such structures were calculated at the CBS-QB3 level of theory.

Computational Study of the Rate Coefficients for the Reactions of NO2 with CH3NHNH, CH3NNH2, and CH2NHNH2.

The reactions of NO2 with cis-/trans-CH3NHNH, CH3NNH2 and CH2NHNH2 have been studied theoretically by quantum chemical calculations and steady-state unimolecular master equation analysis based on RRKM theory. The barrier heights for the roaming transition states between nitro (RNO2) and nitrite (RONO) isomerization reactions and those for the concerted HONO and HNO2 elimination reactions from RNO2 and RONO, affect the pressure dependences of the product-specific rate coefficients. At ambient temperature and pressure, the dominant product of the reactions of NO2 with cis-/trans-CH3NHNH and CH2NHNH2 would be expected to be HONO with trans-CH3NNH and CH2NNH2, respectively, whereas it is CH3N(NH2)NO2 for CH3NNH2 + NO2.

Importance of fundamental sp, sp2, and sp3 hydrocarbon radicals in the growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The most basic chemistry of products formation in hydrocarbons pyrolysis has been explored via a comparative experimental study on the roles of fundamental sp, sp(2), and sp(3) hydrocarbon radicals/intermediates such as ethyne/ethynyl (C(2)H(2)/C(2)H), ethene/ethenyl (C(2)H(4)/C(2)H(3)), and methane/methyl (CH(4)/CH(3)) in products formations. By using an in situ time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique, gas-phase products of pyrolysis of acetylene (ethyne, C(2)H(2)), ethylene (ethene, C(2)H(4)), and acetone (propanone, CH(3)COCH(3)) were detected and found to include small aliphatic products to large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of mass 324 amu. Observed products mass spectra showed a remarkable sequence of mass peaks at regular mass number intervals of 24, 26, or 14 indicating the role of the particular corresponding radicals, ethynyl (C(2)H), ethenyl (C(2)H(3)), or methyl (CH(3)), in products formation.

Novel products from C6H5 + C6H6/C6H5 reactions.

To date only one product, biphenyl, has been reported to be produced from C(6)H(5) + C(6)H(6)/C(6)H(5) reactions. In this study, we have investigated some unique products of C(6)H(5) + C(6)H(6)/C(6)H(5) reactions via both experimental observation and theoretical modeling. In the experimental study, gas-phase reaction products produced from the pyrolysis of selected aromatics and aromatic/acetylene mixtures were detected by an in situ technique, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) single photon ionization (SPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS).

Note: Accuracy of velocity correction for impact of a laser-accelerated miniature flyer with lithium fluoride shock-compressed along the [100] axis.

We performed miniature flyer impact experiments to investigate the relationship between the apparent (u(a)) and actual (u(A)) particle velocities measured by a velocity interferometer in single-crystal lithium fluoride (LiF) that was shock-compressed along the [100] axis. The miniature flyer was accelerated to velocities in the range 652.5-1937.

Role of methyl radicals in the growth of PAHs.

The role of methyl radicals in the networking of sp(2) carbons has been explored through kinetic analysis of mass spectra of the gas-phase products of the pyrolysis of toluene and toluene/acetone mixtures. Pyrolytic reactions were performed in a flow tube reactor at temperatures of 1140-1320 K and a constant total pressure of 10.38 Torr with a residence time of 0.

Product branching fractions for the reaction of O((3)P) with ethene.

The product branching fractions for the reaction of atomic oxygen with ethene, O((3)P) + C(2)H(4)--> CH(3) + HCO (1a), --> H + CH(2)CHO (1b), --> H(2) + CH(2)CO (1c), have been investigated at room temperature (295 +/- 4 K) and pressures from 1 to 4 Torr (with N(2) or He buffer) by a laser photolysis-photoionization mass spectrometry method. From the yield of CH(3) radical, phi(CH(3)), the branching fraction for (1a) was determined to be 0.53 +/- 0.

Role of phenyl radicals in the growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

To investigate the role of phenyl radical in the growth of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), pyrolysis of toluene with and without benzene has been studied by using a heatable tubular reactor couple with an in-situ sampling vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) single photon ionization (SPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) at temperatures 1155-1467 K and a pressure of 10.02 Torr with 0.56 s residence time.

Rate coefficients of H-atom abstraction from ethers and isomerization of alkoxyalkylperoxy radicals.

Group rate expressions for the hydrogen(H)-atom abstraction reactions from ethers by hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl(OH) radicals and the intramolecular hydrogen-transfer isomerization reactions of alkoxyalkylperoxy radicals, which result from the H-abstraction from ethers followed by the addition of O(2), have been evaluated based on the quantum chemical calculations and experimental data. With the relative method proposed in the present study, it was shown that the rate coefficients of the reactions, for which only poor experimental information is available, can be reliably evaluated by calculating and extracting the difference from the well-established reactions of alkane hydrocarbons. The major features on the H-abstraction reactions from O-adjacent sites of ethers compared to those from alkanes were the suppression of the activation energy due to the decrease of the C-H bond dissociation energy and non-next neighbor substituent effect from the alkyl group on the counter side of -O-.

In situ direct sampling mass spectrometric study on formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in toluene pyrolysis.

The gas-phase reaction products of toluene pyrolysis with and without acetylene addition produced in a flow tube reactor at pressures of 8.15-15.11 Torr and temperatures of 1136-1507 K with constant residence time (0.

Analysis of HO2 and OH formation mechanisms using FM and UV spectroscopy in dimethyl ether oxidation.

Product formation pathways in the photolytically initiated oxidation of CH3OCH3 have been investigated as a function of temperature (298-600 K) and pressure (20-90 Torr) through the detection of HO2 and OH using Near-infrared frequency modulation spectroscopy, as well as the detection of CH3OCH2O2 using UV absorption spectroscopy. The reaction was initiated by pulsed photolysis with a mixture of Cl2, O2, and CH3OCH3. The HO2 and OH yield is obtained by comparison with an established reference mixture, including CH3OH.

Kinetics and rate constants of the reaction CH2OH+O2-->CH2O+HO2 in the temperature range of 236-600 K.

The kinetics and absolute rate constants of the gas-phase reaction of the hydroxymethyl radical (CH2OH) with molecular oxygen have been studied using laser photolysis/near-IR absorption spectroscopy. The reaction was tracked by monitoring the time-dependent changes in the production of the hydroperoxy radical (HO2) concentration. For sensitive detection of HO2, two-tone frequency modulation absorption spectroscopy was used in combination with a Herriott-type optical multipass absorption cell.

Crystal structure of the high-pressure phase of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (gamma-RDX).

The crystal structure of the high-pressure phase of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (gamma-RDX), which is stable above 4 GPa at room temperature, was investigated by using infrared spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction measurements followed by Rietveld refinements using a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Although gamma and alpha phases were found to belong to the same space group Pbca, they exhibited a different crystal packing. The molecular structure of the gamma phase exhibited the same conformation as that of the alpha phase; however, the torsion angles of N-NO2 changed marginally.

Theoretical studies of energy transfer rates of secondary explosives.

Understanding the mechanism of shock-induced chemical reaction in secondary explosives is necessary to pursue the development and the safe use of new explosives having high performance and low sensitivity. In an effort to understand the mechanism, the energy transfer rates of such secondary explosives as PETN(I), PETN(II), delta-HMX, alpha-HMX, beta-HMX, RDX, ANTA, DMN, and NM have been evaluated based on the formula derived by Fried and Ruggiero [Fried, L. E.

Channel specific rate constants relevant to the thermal decomposition of disilane.

Rate constants for the thermal dissociation of Si2H6 are predicted with a novel transition state model. The saddle points for dissociation on the Si2H6 potential energy surface are lower in energy than the corresponding separated products, as confirmed by high level ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. Thus, the dissociations of Si2H6 to produce SiH2 + SiH4 (R1) and H3SiSiH + H2 (R2) both proceed through tight inner transition states followed by loose outer transition states.

Water dependence of the HO2 self reaction: kinetics of the HO2-H2O complex.

Transient absorption spectra and decay profiles of HO2 have been measured using cw near-IR two-tone frequency modulation absorption spectroscopy at 297 K and 50 Torr in diluent of N2 in the presence of water. From the depletion of the HO2 absorption peak area following the addition of water, the equilibrium constant of the reaction HO2 + H2O <--> HO2-H2O was determined to be K2 = (5.2 +/- 3.

Thermal decomposition mechanism of disilane.

Thermal decomposition of disilane was investigated using time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry coupled with vacuum ultraviolet single-photon ionization (VUV-SPI) at a temperature range of 675-740 K and total pressure of 20-40 Torr. Si(n)H(m) species were photoionized by VUV radiation at 10.5 eV (118 nm).

Hot filament-dissociation of (CH3)3SiH and (CH3)4Si, probed by vacuum ultra violet laser time of flight mass spectroscopy.

The decomposition of trimethylsilane and tetramethylsilane has been investigated for the first time, using hot wire (catalytic) at various temperatures. Trimethylsilane is catalytic-dissociated in these species SiH(2), CH(3)SiH, CH(3), CH(2)Si. Time of flight mass spectroscopy signal of these species are linearly increasing with increasing catalytic-temperature.

Detection of chlorobenzene derivatives using vacuum ultraviolet ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Vacuum ultraviolet single-photon ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (VUV-SPI-TOFMS) has been applied for the detection of chlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, and o-chlorophenol as surrogates for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxine/furans (PCDD/F). The photoionization mass spectra of these compounds appear to be fragmentation free in the ionization processes by the VUV-SPI at 10.2 eV (121.