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PubMed2005

Kinetics of alpha-hydroxy-alkylperoxyl radicals in oxidation processes. HO2*-initiated oxidation of ketones/aldehydes near the tropopause.

A comparative theoretical study is presented on the formation and decomposition of alpha-hydroxy-alkylperoxyl radicals, Q(OH)OO* (Q = RR'C:), important intermediates in the oxidation of several classes of oxygenated organic compounds in atmospheric chemistry, combustion, and liquid-phase autoxidation of hydrocarbons. Detailed potential energy surfaces (PESs) were computed for the HOCH2O2* <==>HO2* + CH2O reaction and its analogues for the alkyl-substituted RCH(OH)OO* and R2C(OH)OO* and the cyclic cyclo-C6H10(OH)OO*. The state-of-the-art ab initio methods G3 and CBS-QB3 and a nearly converged G2M//B3LYP-DFT variant were found to give quasi-identical results. On the basis of the G2M//B3LYP-DFT PES, the kinetics of the approximately equal to 15 kcal/mol endothermal alpha-hydroxy-alkylperoxyl decompositions and of the reverse HO2*+ ketone/aldehyde reactions were evaluated using multiconformer transition state theory. The excellent agreement with the available experimental (kinetic) data validates our methodologies. Contrary to current views, HO2* is found to react as fast with ketones as with aldehydes. The high forward and reverse rates are shown to lead to a fast Q(OH)OO* <==>HO2* + carbonyl quasi-equilibrium. The sizable [Q(OH)OO*]/[carbonyl] ratios predicted for formaldehyde, acetone, and cyclo-hexanone at the low temperatures (below 220 K) of the earth's tropopause are shown to result in efficient removal of these carbonyls through fast subsequent Q(OH)OO* reactions with NO and HO2*. IMAGES model calculations indicate that at the tropical tropopause the HO2*-initiated oxidation of formaldehyde and acetone may account for 30% of the total removal of these major atmospheric carbonyls, thereby also substantially affecting the hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radical budgets and contributing to the production of formic and acetic acids in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. On the other hand, an RRKM-master equation analysis shows that hot alpha-hydroxy-alkylperoxyls formed by the addition of O(2) to C(1)-, C(2)-, and C(3)-alpha-hydroxy-alkyl radicals will quasi-uniquely fragment to HO2* plus the carbonyl under all atmospheric conditions.

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PubMed2005

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. The present "dual" transition state model couples variational phase space theory treatments of the outer transition states with ab initio based fixed harmonic vibrator treatments of the inner transition states to obtain effective numbers of states for the two transition states acting in series. It is found that, at least near room temperature, such a dual transition state model is generally required for the proper description of each of the dissociations. Only at quite high temperatures, i.e., above 2000 K for (R1) and 600 K for (R2), does a single fixed inner transition state provide an adequate description. Similarly, only at quite low temperatures (below 100 and 10 K for (R1) and (R2), respectively) does a single outer transition state provide an adequate description. Pressure dependent rate constants are obtained from solutions to the multichannel master equation. These calculations confirm that dissociation channel (R2) is negligible under conditions relevant to the thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes. Rate constants for the chemical activation reactions, SiH2 + SiH4 --> Si2H6 (R-1) and SiH2 + SiH4 --> H3SiSiH + H2 (R3), are also evaluated within the dual transition state model. It is found that reaction R3 is the dominant channel for low pressures and high temperatures, i.e., below 100 Torr for temperatures above 1100 K.

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PubMed2005

Trajectory dynamics study of the Ar + CH4 dissociation reaction at high temperatures: the importance of zero-point-energy effects.

Large-scale classical trajectory calculations have been performed to study the reaction Ar + CH4--> CH3 +H + Ar in the temperature range 2500 < or = T/K < or = 4500. The potential energy surface used for ArCH4 is the sum of the nonbonding pairwise potentials of Hase and collaborators (J. Chem. Phys. 2001, 114, 535) that models the intermolecular interaction and the CH4 intramolecular potential of Duchovic et al. (J. Phys. Chem. 1984, 88, 1339), which has been modified to account for the H-H repulsion at small bending angles. The thermal rate coefficient has been calculated, and the zero-point energy (ZPE) of the CH3 product molecule has been taken into account in the analysis of the results; also, two approaches have been applied for discarding predissociative trajectories. In both cases, good agreement is observed between the experimental and trajectory results after imposing the ZPE of CH3. The energy-transfer parameters have also been obtained from trajectory calculations and compared with available values estimated from experiment using the master equation formalism; in general, the agreement is good.

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PubMed2005

Detailed modeling of the reaction of C2H5 + O2.

Modeling of low-temperature ethane oxidation requires an accurate description of the reaction of C(2)H(5) + O(2), because its multiple reaction channels either accelerate the oxidation process via chain branching, or inhibit it by forming stable, less reactive products. We have used a steady-state chemical-activation analysis to generate pressure and temperature dependent rate coefficients for the various channels of this system. Input parameters for this analysis were obtained from ab initio calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory with bond-additivity corrections, followed by transition state theory calculations with Wigner tunneling corrections. The chemical-activation analysis used QRRK theory to determine k(E) and the modified strong collision (MSC) model to account for collisional deactivation. This procedure resulted in a C(2)H(5) + O(2) submechanism which was either used directly (possibly augmented with a few C(2)H(5) generating and consuming reactions) or as part of a larger extended mechanism to predict the temperature and pressure dependencies of the overall loss of ethyl and of the yields of ethylene, ethylene oxide, HO(2), and OH. A comparison of the predictions using both mechanisms allowed an assessment of the sensitivity of the experimental data to secondary reactions. Except for the time dependent OH profiles, the predictions using the extended mechanism were in good agreement with the observations. By replacing the MSC model with master equation approaches, both steady-state and time dependent, it was confirmed that the MSC assumption is adequate for the analysis of the C(2)H(5) + O(2) reaction. The good overall performance of the C(2)H(5) + O(2) submechanism developed in this study suggests that it provides a good building block for an ethane oxidation mechanism.

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PubMed2005

Product study of the reaction of CH3 with OH radicals at low pressures and temperatures of 300 and 612 K.

The product distribution for the title reaction was studied using our time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) connected to a tubular flow reactor. The methyl and hydroxyl radicals were produced by an excimer laser pulse (lambda = 193 nm) photolyzing acetone and nitrous oxide in the presence of excess water or hydrogen. Helium was used as the bath gas; the total density was held constant at 1.2 x 10(17) cm(-3). At 300 K the observations were consistent with singlet methylene ((1)CH(2)) and water as the main product channel with a small contribution of methanol. In contrast, at about 610 K three channels-formaldehyde isomers and methanol in addition to (1)CH(2) + H(2)O-are formed with similar yields. When acetone-d(6) was used, the production of both CHDO and CD(2)O was observed, indicating that two different formaldehyde-producing channels are operating simultaneously. These experimental results are compared with RRKM and master equation calculations on the basis of the properties of the methanol potential energy surface from a recent ab initio study.

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PubMed2005

Measurements and modeling of HO2 formation in the reactions of n-C3H7 and i-C3H7 radicals with O2.

The formation of HO(2) in the reactions of C(2)H(5), n-C(3)H(7), and i-C(3)H(7) radicals with O(2) is investigated using the technique of laser photolysis/long-path frequency-modulation spectroscopy. The alkyl radicals are formed by 266 nm photolysis of alkyl iodides. The formation of HO(2) from the subsequent reaction of the alkyl radicals with O(2) is followed by infrared frequency-modulation spectroscopy. The concentration of I atoms is simultaneously monitored by direct absorption of a second laser probe on the spin-orbit transition. The measured profiles are compared to a kinetic model taken from time-resolved master-equation results based on previously published ab initio characterizations of the relevant stationary points on the potential-energy surface. The ab initio energies are adjusted to produce agreement with the present experimental data and with available literature studies. The isomer specificity of the present results enables refinement of the model for i-C(3)H(7) + O(2) and improved agreement with experimental measurements of HO(2) production in propane oxidation.

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PubMed2005

PECT model analysis and predictions of experimental collisional energy transfer probabilities P(E',E) and moments for azulene and biphenylene.

Experimental collisional energy transfer data from kinetically controlled selective ionization (KCSI) and ultraviolet absorption (UVA) experiments are analyzed in the framework of the partially ergodic collision theory (PECT). Collisions of azulene and biphenylene with different colliders are investigated as case studies. The downward wings of the P(E',E) energy transfer distributions obtained from the PECT model are fitted to the recently introduced "variable-shape"-exponential 3-parameter functional form of P(E',E) obtained from KCSI experiments, P(E',E) proportional, variant exp[-{(E - E')/(C(0) + C(1)E)}(Y)]. The PECT model is able to reproduce the characteristic dependence of the KCSI "shape parameter" Y on the choice of collider, the energy dependent width of the KCSI P(E',E) distributions, described by alpha(E) = C(0) + C(1)E, and the temperature dependence of the UVA data above room temperature. The statistical approach of PECT obviously captures the essence of large molecule energy transfer at chemically significant energies without the need of knowing specific features of the detailed collision dynamics. It therefore shows promise for predicting the shape of P(E',E) in master equation kernels for larger molecules.

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PubMed2005

Structures of cationized proline analogues: evidence for the zwitterionic form.

The structures of lithiated and sodiated alpha-methyl-proline (alpha-Me-Pro) and structural isomers, both with and without a water molecule, are investigated using blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD) and density functional theory. From the BIRD kinetic data measured as a function of temperature, combined with master equation modeling of these data, threshold dissociation energies for the loss of a water molecule from these clusters are obtained. These energies are 77.5 +/- 0.5 and 53 +/- 1 kJ/mol for lithiated and sodiated alpha-Me-Pro, respectively. For the nonzwitterionic isomer, proline methyl ester, these values are 3.0-4.5 kJ/mol higher. These results provide compelling experimental evidence that alpha-Me-Pro is zwitterionic in these clusters. Theory at the temperature corrected B3LYP/6-311++G**//B3LYP/6-31++G** level indicates that the salt-bridge or zwitterionic forms of lithiated and sodiated alpha-Me-Pro are between 17 and 23 kJ/mol lower in energy than the nonzwitterionic or charge-solvated forms and that attachment of a single water molecule does not significantly change the structure or the relative energies of these clusters. The proton affinity of proline is 8 kJ/mol higher than that of alpha-Me-Pro, indicating that lithiated and sodiated singly hydrated proline should also be zwitterionic.

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PubMed2005

Shock wave study on the thermal unimolecular decomposition of allyl radicals.

We present the first direct study on the thermal unimolecular decomposition of allyl radicals. Experiments have been performed behind shock waves, and the experimental conditions covered temperatures ranging from 1125 K up to 1570 K and pressures between 0.25 and 4.5 bar. Allyl radicals have been generated by thermal decomposition of allyl iodide, and H-atom resonance absorption spectroscopy has been used to monitor the reaction progress. A marked pressure dependence of the rate constant has been observed which is in agreement with the results from a master equation analysis. However, our experimental results as well as our Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations seem to contradict the results of Deyerl et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 1999, 110, 1450) who investigated the unimolecular decomposition of allyl radicals upon photoexcitation and tried to deduce specific rate constants for the unimolecular dissociation in the electronic ground state. At pressures around 1 bar we extracted the following rate equation: k(T) = 5.3 x 10(79)(T/K)(-19.29) exp[(-398.9 kJ/mol)/RT] s(-1). The uncertainty of the rate constant calculated from this equation is estimated to be 30%.

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PubMed2005

The reaction of acetylene with hydroxyl radicals.

The potential energy surface for the reaction between OH and acetylene has been calculated using the RQCISD(T) method and extrapolated to the complete basis-set limit. Rate coefficients were determined for a wide range of temperatures and pressures, based on this surface and the solution of the one-dimensional and two-dimensional master equations. With a small adjustment to the association energy barrier (1.1 kcal/mol), agreement with experiments is good, considering the discrepancies in such data. The rate coefficient for direct hydrogen abstraction is significantly smaller than that commonly used in combustion models. Also in contrast to previous models, ketene + H is found to be the main product at normal combustion conditions. At low temperatures and high pressures, stabilization of the C2H2OH adduct is the dominant process. Rate coefficient expressions for use in modeling are provided.

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PubMed2005

Excitation migration along oligophenylenevinylene-based chiral stacks: delocalization effects on transport dynamics.

Atomistic models based on quantum-chemical calculations are combined with time-resolved spectroscopic investigations to explore the migration of electronic excitations along oligophenylenevinylene-based chiral stacks. It is found that the usual Pauli master equation (PME) approach relying on uncoherent transport between individual chromophores underestimates the excitation diffusion dynamics, monitored here by the time decay of the transient polarization anisotropy. A better agreement to experiment is achieved when accounting for excitation delocalization among acceptor molecules, as implemented in a modified version of the PME model. The same models are applied to study light harvesting and trapping in guest-host systems built from oligomers of different lengths.

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PubMed2005

Theory of multichannel thermal unimolecular reactions. 2. Application to the thermal dissociation of formaldehyde.

The thermal dissociation of formaldehyde proceeds on three channels, the molecular-elimination channel H2CO --> H2 + CO (1), the radical-forming bond-fission channel H2CO --> H + HCO (2), and the bond-fission-initiated, intramolecular-hydrogen-abstraction channel H2CO --> H...HCO --> H2 + CO (3) which also forms molecular products. The kinetics of this system in the low-pressure range of the unimolecular reaction is shown to be governed by a subtle superposition of collisional channel coupling to be treated by solving a master equation, of rotational channel switching accessible through ab initio calculations of the potential as well as spectroscopic and photophysical determinations of the threshold energies and channel branching above the threshold energy for radical formation which can be characterized through formaldehyde photolysis quantum yields as well as classical trajectory calculations. On the basis of the available information, the rate coefficients for the formation of molecular and radical fragments are analyzed and extrapolated over wide ranges of conditions. The modeled rate coefficients in the low-pressure range of the reaction (neglecting tunneling) over the range 1400-3200 K in the bath-gas Ar in this way are represented by k0,Mol/[Ar] approximately 9.4 x 10(-9) exp(-33,140 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) and k0,Rad/[Ar] approximately 6.2 x 10(-9) exp(-36,980 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). The corresponding values for the bath-gas Kr, on which the analysis relies in particular, are k0,Mol/[Kr] approximately 7.7 x 10(-9) exp(-33,110 K/T) and k0,Rad/[Kr] approximately 4.1 x 10(-9) exp(-36 910 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). While the threshold energy E0,2 for channels 2 and 3 is taken from spectroscopic measurements, the threshold energy E0,1 for channel 1 is fitted on the basis of experimental ratios k0,Rad/k0,Mol in combination with photolysis quantum yields. The derived value of E0,1(1) = 81.2 (+/-0.9) kcal mol(-1) is in good agreement with results from recent ab initio calculations, 81.9 (+/-0.3) kcal mol(-1), but is higher than earlier results derived from photophysical experiments, 79.2 (+/-0.8) kcal mol(-1). Rate coefficients for the high-pressure limit of the reaction are also modeled. The results of the present work markedly depend on the branching ratio between channels 2 and 3. Expressions of this branching ratio from classical trajectory calculations and from photolysis quantum yield measurements were tested. At the same time, a modeling of the photolysis quantum yields was performed. The formaldehyde system so far presents the best characterized multichannel dissociation reaction. It may serve as a prototype for other multichannel dissociation reactions.

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PubMed2005

Potential energy surfaces, product distributions and thermal rate coefficients of the reaction of O(3P) with C2H4(X1Ag): a comprehensive theoretical study.

The potential energy surface for the O((3)P) + C(2)H(4) reaction, which plays an important role in C(2)H(4)/O(2) flames and in hydrocarbon combustion in general, was theoretically reinvestigated using various quantum chemical methods, including G3, CBS-QB3, G2M(CC,MP2), and MRCI. The energy surfaces of both the lowest-lying triplet and singlet electronic states were constructed. The primary product distribution for the multiwell multichannel reaction was then determined by RRKM statistical rate theory and weak-collision master equation analysis using the exact stochastic simulation method. Intersystem crossing of the "hot" CH(2)CH(2)O triplet adduct to the singlet surface, shown to account for about half of the products, was estimated to proceed at a rate of approximately 1.5 x 10(11) s(-1). In addition, the thermal rate coefficients k(O + C(2)H(4)) in the T = 200-2000 K range were computed using multistate transition state theory and fitted by a modified Arrhenius expression as k(T) = 1.69 x 10(-16) x T(1.66) x exp(-331 K/T) . Our computed rates and product distributions agree well with the available experimental results. Product yields are found to show a monotonic dependence on temperature. The major products (with predicted yields at T = 300 K/2000 K) are: CH(3) + CHO (48/37%), H + CH(2)CHO (40/19%), and CH(2)(X(3)B(1)) + H(2)CO (5/29%), whereas H + CH(3)CO, H(2) + H(2)CCO, and CH(4) + CO are all minor (< or =5%).

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PubMed2005

Experimental and theoretical studies of the C2F4 + O reaction: nonadiabatic reaction mechanism.

In this work, the C(2)F(4)(X(1)A(g)) + O((3)P) reaction was investigated experimentally using molecular beam-threshold ionization mass spectrometry (MB-TIMS). The major primary products were observed to be CF(2)O (+ CF(2)) and CF(3) (+ CFO), with measured approximate yields of % versus %, respectively, neglecting minor products. Furthermore, the lowest-lying triplet and singlet potential energy surfaces for this reaction were constructed theoretically using B3LYP, G2M(UCC, MP2), CBS-QB3, and G3 methods in combination with various basis sets such as 6-31G(d), 6-311+G(3df), and cc-pVDZ. The primary product distribution for the multiwell multichannel reaction was then determined by RRKM statistical rate theory and weak-collision master equation analysis. It was found that the observed production of CF(3) (+ CFO) can only occur on the singlet surface, in parallel with formation of ca. 5 times more CF(2)O(X) + CF(2)(X(1)A(1)). This requires fast intersystem crossing (ISC) from the triplet to the singlet surface at a rate of ca. 4 x 10(12) s(-1). The theoretical calculations combined with the experimental results thus indicate that the yield of triplet CF(2)(ã(3)B(1)) + CF(2)O formed on the triplet surface prior to ISC is < or =35%, whereas singlet CF(2)(X(1)A(1)) + CF(2)O is produced with yield > or =60%, after ISC. In addition, the thermal rate coefficients k(O + C(2)F(4)) in the T = 150-1500 K range were computed using multistate transition state theory and can be expressed as k(T) = 1.67 x 10(-16) x T(1.48) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1); they are in agreement with the available experimental results in the T = 298-500 K range.

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PubMed2006

Sensing cantilever beam bending by the optical lever technique and its application to surface stress.

Cantilever beams, both microscopic and macroscopic, are used as sensors in a great variety of applications. An optical lever system is commonly employed to determine the deflection and thereby the profile of the cantilever under load. The sensitivity of the optical lever must be calibrated, and this is usually achieved by application of a known load or deflection to the free end of the cantilever. When the sensing operation involves a different type of load or a combination of types of loadings, the calibration and the deflection values derived from it become invalid. Here we develop a master equation that permits the true deflection of the cantilever to be obtained simply from the measurement of the apparent deflection for uniformly distributed loadings and end-moment loadings. These loadings are relevant to the uniform adsorption or application of material to the cantilever or the application of a surface stress to the cantilever and should assist experimentalists using the optical lever, such as in the atomic force microscope, to measure cantilever deflections in a great variety of sensing applications. We then apply this treatment to the experimental evaluation of surface stress. Three forms of Stoney's equation that relate the apparent deflection to the surface stress, which is valid for both macroscopic and microscopic experiments, are derived. Analysis of the errors arising from incorrect modeling of the loading conditions of the cantilever currently applied in experiments is also presented. It is shown that the reported literature values for surface stress in microscopic experiments are typically 9% smaller than their true value. For macroscopic experiments, we demonstrate that the added mass of the film or coating generally dominates the measured deflection and must be accounted for accurately if surface stress measurements are to be made. Further, the reported measurements generally use a form of Stoney's equation that is in error, resulting in an overestimation of surface stress by a factor >5.

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PubMed2005

Gas-phase collisional relaxation of the CH2I radical after UV photolysis of CH2I2.

Transient UV absorption spectra and kinetics of the CH(2)I radical in the gas phase have been investigated at 313 K. Following laser photolysis of 1-3 mbar CH(2)I(2) at 308 nm, transient spectra in the wavelength range 330-390 nm were measured at delay times between 60 ns and a few microseconds. The change of the absorption spectra at early times was attributed to vibrational cooling of highly excited CH(2)I radicals by collisional energy transfer to CH(2)I(2) molecules. From transient absorption decays measured at specific wavelengths, time-dependent concentrations of vibrationally "hot" and "cold" CH(2)I and CH(2)I(2) were extracted by kinetic modeling. In addition, the transient absorption spectrum of CH(2)I radicals between 330 and 400 nm was reconstructed from the simulated concentration-time profiles. The evolution of the absorption spectra of CH(2)I radicals and CH(2)I(2) due to collisional energy transfer was simulated in the framework of a modified Sulzer-Wieland model. Additional master equation simulations for the collisional deactivation of CH(2)I by CH(2)I(2) yield DeltaE values in reasonable agreement with earlier direct studies on the collisional relaxation of other systems. In addition, the simulations show that the shape of the vibrational population distribution of the hot CH(2)I radicals has no influence on the measured UV absorption signals. The implications of our results with respect to spectral assignments in recent ultrafast spectrokinetic studies of the photolysis of CH(2)I(2) in dense fluids are discussed.

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PubMed2006

Rate coefficients and equilibrium constant for the CH2CHO + O2 reaction system.

The kinetics of the CH2CHO + O2 reaction was experimentally studied in two quasi-static reactors and a discharge flow-reactor at temperatures ranging from 298 to 660 K and pressures between 1 mbar and 46 bar with helium as the bath gas. The CH2CHO radicals were produced by the laser-flash photolysis of ethyl vinyl ether at 193 nm and by the reaction F + CH3CHO, respectively. Laser-induced fluorescence excited at 337 or 347.4 nm was used to monitor the CH2CHO concentration. The reaction proceeded via reversible complex formation with subsequent isomerization and fast decomposition: CH2CHO + O2 <= => O2CH2CHO --> HO2CH2CO --> products. The rate coefficients for the first and second steps were determined (k1, k-1, k2) and analyzed by a master equation with specific rate coefficients from the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory. Molecular and transition-state parameters were obtained from quantum chemical calculations. A third-law analysis led to the following thermodynamic parameters for the first step: Delta(R)S degrees 300K(1) = -144 J K(-1) mol(-1) (1 bar) and Delta(R)H degrees 300K(1) = (-101 +/- 4) kJ mol(-1). From the falloff analysis, the following temperature dependencies for the low- and high-pressure limiting rate coefficients were obtained: k1(0) = 5.14 x 10(-14) exp(210 K/T) cm(-3) s(-1); k1(infinity) = 1.7 x 10(-12) exp(-520 K/T) cm(-3) s(-1); and k2(infinity) = 1.3 x 10(12) exp[-(82 +/- 4) kJ mol(-1)/RT] s(-1). Readily applicable analytical representations for the pressure and temperature dependence of k1 were derived to be used in kinetic modeling.

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PubMed2006

Pathways and rate coefficients for the decomposition of vinoxy and acetyl radicals.

The potential in the vicinity of the stationary points on the surface for the decomposition of ground-state vinoxy and acetyl radicals has been calculated using the RQCISD(T) method extrapolated to the infinite-basis set limit. Rate coefficients for the decomposition pathways of these two radicals were computed using the master equation and variational transition state theory. Agreement between our calculated rate coefficients for H + CH(2)CO <--> CH(3) + CO and experimental data is very good, without the need for empirical adjustments to the ab initio energy barriers. Multireference configuration-interaction calculations indicate two competitive channels for vinoxy decomposition, with the channel leading to H + CH(2)CO being preferred at photodissociation energies. However, at typical combustion conditions, vinoxy decomposes primarily to CO and methyl. In contrast, decomposition of acetyl shows only one decomposition channel, leading to CO and methyl. The implications of a low-lying exit channel for the calculation of theoretical rate coefficients are discussed briefly.

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