Solvent dynamics: Modified Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus theory. II. Vibrationally assisted case

Expressions are given for a solvent dynamics-modified Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) theory for clusters. The role of vibrational assistance across the transition state region is included. The usual differential equation for motion along the slow coordinate X in constant temperature systems is modified so as to apply to microcanonical systems. A negative entropy term, –Sv(X), replaces the (1/T)∂U/∂X or (1/T)∂G/∂X which appears in canonical systems. Expressions are obtained for the RRKM-type rate constant k(X) and for the Sv(X) which appear in the differential equation. An approximate solution for steady-state conditions is given for the case that the "reaction window" is narrow. The solution then takes on a simple functional form. The validity of the assumption can be checked a posteriori. Recrossings of the transition state are included and the condition under which the treatment approaches that in Part I is described

On the theory of the CO+OH reaction, including H and C kinetic isotope effects

The effect of pressure, temperature, H/D isotopes, and C isotopes on the kinetics of the OH+CO reaction are investigated using Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory. Pressure effects are treated with a step-ladder plus steady-state model and tunneling effects are included. New features include a treatment of the C isotope effect and a proposed nonstatistical effect in the reaction. The latter was prompted by existing kinetic results and molecular-beam data of Simons and co-workers [J. Phys. Chem. A 102, 9559 (1998); J. Chem. Phys. 112, 4557 (2000); 113, 3173 (2000)] on incomplete intramolecular energy transfer to the highest vibrational frequency mode in HOCO*. In treating the many kinetic properties two small customary vertical adjustments of the barriers of the two transition states were made. The resulting calculations show reasonable agreement with the experimental data on (1) the pressure and temperature dependence of the H/D effect, (2) the pressure-dependent 12C/13C isotope effect, (3) the strong non-Arrhenius behavior observed at low temperatures, (4) the high-temperature data, and (5) the pressure dependence of rate constants in various bath gases. The kinetic carbon isotopic effect is usually less than 10 per mil. A striking consequence of the nonstatistical assumption is the removal of a major discrepancy in a plot of the kOH+CO/kOD+CO ratio versus pressure. A prediction is made for the temperature dependence of the OD+CO reaction in the low-pressure limit at low temperatures

Vibrational overtone initiated unimolecular dissociation of HOCH_2OOH and HOCD_2OOH: Evidence for mode selective behavior

The vibrational overtone induced unimolecular dissociation of HMHP (HOCH2OOH) and HMHP-d2 (HOCD2OOH) into OH and HOCH2O (HOCD2O) fragments is investigated in the region of the 4nuOH and 5nuOH bands. The unimolecular dissociation rates in the threshold region, corresponding to the 4nuOH band, exhibit measurable differences associated with excitation of the OH stretch of the alcohol versus the peroxide functional group, with the higher energy alcohol OH stretching state exhibiting a slower dissociation rate compared to the lower energy peroxide OH stretch in both HMHP and HMHP-d2. Predictions using the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus theory give rates that are in reasonably good agreement with the measured dissociation rate for the alcohol OH stretch but considerably differ from the measured rates for the peroxide OH stretch in both isotopomers. The present results are interpreted as suggesting that the extent of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) is different for the two OH stretching states associated with the two functional groups in HMHP, with IVR being substantially less complete for the peroxide OH stretch. Analysis of the OH fragment product state distributions in conjunction with phase-space theory simulation gives a D0 value of 38±0.7 kcal/mole for breaking the peroxide bond in HMHP

Bimolecular Recombination Reactions: Low Pressure Rates in Terms of Time-Dependent Survival Probabilities, Total J Phase Space Sampling of Trajectories, and Comparison with RRKM Theory

We consider the bimolecular formation and redissociation of complexes using classical trajectories and the survival probability distribution function P(E,J,t) of the intermediate complexes at time t as a function of the energy E and total angular momentum quantum number J. The P(E,J,t) and its deviation from single exponential behavior is a main focus of the present set of studies. Together with weak deactivating collisions, the P(E,J,t) and a cumulative reaction probability at the given E and J can also be used to obtain the recombination rate constant k at low pressures of third bodies. Both classical and quantum expressions are given for k in terms of P(E,J,t). The initial conditions for the classical trajectories are sampled for atom−diatom reactions for various (E,J)’s using action-angle variables. A canonical transformation to a total J representation reduces the sampling space by permitting analytic integration over several of the variables. A similar remark applies for the calculation of the density of states of the intermediate complex ρ and for the number of states N* of the transition state as a function of E and J. The present approach complements the usual approach based on the rate of the reverse reaction, unimolecular dissociation, and the equilibrium constant. It provides results not necessarily accessible from the unimolecular studies. The formalism is applied elsewhere to the study of nonstatistical aspects of the recombination and redissociation of the resulting ozone molecules and comparison with RRKM theory

Statistical Theory of Unimolecular Reactions and Intramolecular Dynamics

In the present lecture we review experimental and theoretical developments in the field of intramolecular dynamics during the past sixty years. In a concluding section we consider possible implications for intramolecular laser selective chemistry

On the theory of the reaction rate of vibrationally excited CO molecules with OH radicals

The dependence of the rate of the reaction CO+OH-->H+CO2 on the CO-vibrational excitation is treated here theoretically. Both the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) rate constant kRRKM and a nonstatistical modification knon [W.-C. Chen and R. A. Marcus, J. Chem. Phys. 123, 094307 (2005).] are used in the analysis. The experimentally measured rate constant shows an apparent (large error bars) decrease with increasing CO-vibrational temperature Tv over the range of Tv's studied, 298–1800 K. Both kRRKM(Tv) and knon(Tv) show the same trend over the Tv-range studied, but the knon(Tv) vs Tv plot shows a larger effect. The various trends can be understood in simple terms. The calculated rate constant kv decreases with increasing CO vibrational quantum number v, on going from v=0 to v=1, by factors of 1.5 and 3 in the RRKM and nonstatistical calculations, respectively. It then increases when v is increased further. These results can be regarded as a prediction when v state-selected rate constants become available

Dissociation Dynamics of CIONO_2 and Relative Cl and ClO Product Yields following Photoexcitation at 308 nm

Chlorine nitrate photolysis at 308 nm has been investigated with a molecular beam technique. Two primary decomposition pathways, leading to Cl + NO_3 and ClO + NO_2, were observed. The branching ratio between these two respective channels was determined to be 0.67 ± 0.06 : 0.33 ± 0.06. This ratio is an upper limit because some of the ClO photoproducts may have undergone secondary photodissociation. The angular distributions of the photoproducts with respect to the direction of polarization of the exciting light were anisotropic. The anisotropy parameters were β= 0.5 ± 0.2 for the Cl + NO_3 channel and β= 1.1 ± 0.2 for the ClO + NO_2 channel, indicating that dissociation of ClONO_2 by either pathway occurs within a rotational period. Weak signal at mass-to-charge ratios of 35 and 51, arising from products with laboratory velocities close to the beam velocity, was observed. While this signal could result from statistical dissociation channels with a total relative yield of 0.07 or less, it is more likely attributable to products from ClO secondary photodissociation or from dissociation of clusters

An intramolecular theory of the mass-independent isotope effect for ozone. II. Numerical implementation at low pressures using a loose transition state

A theory is described for the variation in the rate constants for formation of different ozone isotopomers from oxygen atoms and molecules at low pressures. The theory is implemented using a simplified description which treats the transition state as loose. The two principal features of the theory are a phase space partitioning of the transition states of the two exit channels after formation of the energetic molecule and a small (ca. 15%) decrease in the effective density of states, rho [a "non-Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) effect"], for the symmetric ozone isotopomers [B. C. Hathorn and R. A. Marcus, J. Chem. Phys. 111, 4087 (1999)]. This decrease is in addition to the usual statistical factor of 2 for symmetric molecules. Experimentally, the scrambled systems show a "mass-independent" effect for the enrichments delta (for trace) and E (for heavily) enriched systems, but the ratios of the individual isotopomeric rate constants for unscrambled systems show a strongly mass-dependent behavior. The contrasting behavior of scrambled and unscrambled systems is described theoretically using a "phase space" partitioning factor. In scrambled systems an energetic asymmetric ozone isotopomer is accessed from both entrance channels and, as shown in paper I, the partitioning factor becomes unity throughout. In unscrambled systems, access to an asymmetric ozone is only from one entrance channel, and differences in zero-point energies and other properties, such as the centrifugal potential, determine the relative contributions (the partitioning factors) of the two exit channels to the lifetime of the resulting energetic ozone molecule. They are responsible for the large differences in individual recombination rate constants at low pressures. While the decrease in rho for symmetric systems is attributed to a small non-RRKM effect eta, these calculated results are independent of the exact origin of the decrease. The calculated "mass-independent" enrichments, delta and E, in scrambled systems are relatively insensitive to the transition state (TS), because of the absence of the partitioning factor in their case (for a fixed non-RRKM eta). They are compared with the data at room temperature. Calculated results for the ratios of individual isotopomeric rate constants for the strongly mass-independent behavior for unscrambled systems are quite sensitive to the nature of the TS because of the partitioning effect. The current data are available only at room temperature but the loose TS is valid only at low temperatures. Accordingly, the results calculated for the latter at 140 K represent a prediction, for any given eta. At present, a comparison of the 140 K results can be made only with room temperature data. They show the same trends as, and are in fortuitous agreement, with the data. Work is in progress on a description appropriate for room temperature