Statistical theory for the reaction N + OH → NO + H: thermal low-temperature rate constants.

The reaction N + OH → NO + H involves the intermediate formation of NOH adducts which in part rearrange to HNO conformers. A statistical treatment of the process is developed in which an initial adiabatic channel capture of the reactants is accompanied by partial primary redissociation of the N⋯OH collision pairs. A criterion for the extent of this primary redissociation in competition to the formation of randomized, long-lived, complex of NOH is proposed. The NOH adducts then may decompose to NO + H, rearrange in a unimolecular process to HNO, or undergo secondary redissociation back to the reactants N + OH, while HNO may also decompose to NO + H. As the reactants N(4S) + OH(2Π) have open electronic shells, non-Born-Oppenheimer effects have to be considered. Their influence on thermal rate constants of the reaction at low temperatures is illustrated and compared with such effects in other reactions such as C(3P) + OH(2Π).

Shock wave and modelling study of the unimolecular dissociation of Si(CH3)2F2: an access to spectroscopic and kinetic properties of SiF2.

The thermal dissociation of Si(CH3)2F2 was studied in shock waves between 1400 and 1900 K. UV absorption-time profiles of its dissociation products SiF2 and CH3 were monitored. The reaction proceeds as a unimolecular process not far from the high-pressure limit. Comparing modelled and experimental results, an asymmetric representation of the falloff curves was shown to be most realistic. Modelled limiting high-pressure rate constants agreed well with the experimental data. The UV absorption spectrum of SiF2 was shown to be quasi-continuous, with a maximum near 222 nm and a wavelength-integrated absorption cross section of 4.3 (±1) × 10-23 cm3 (between 195 and 255 nm, base e), the latter being consistent with radiative lifetimes from the literature. Experiments over the range 1900-3200 K showed that SiF2 was not consumed by a simple bond fission SiF2 →SiF + F, but by a bimolecular reaction SiF2 + SiF2 → SiF + SiF3 (rate constant in the range 1011-1012 cm3 mol-1 s-1), followed by the unimolecular dissociation SiF3 → SiF2 + F such that the reaction becomes catalyzed by the reactant SiF2. The analogy to a pathway CF2 + CF2 → CF + CF3, followed by CF3 → CF2 + F, in high-temperature fluorocarbon chemistry is stressed. Besides the high-temperature absorption cross sections of SiF2, analogous data for SiF are also reported.

Shock wave and modelling study of the dissociation kinetics of C2F5I.

The thermal dissociation of C2F5I was studied in shock waves monitoring UV absorption signals from the reactant C2F5I and later formed reaction products such as CF, CF2, and C2F4. Temperatures of 950-1500 K, bath gas concentrations of [Ar] = 3 × 10-5-2 × 10-4 mol cm-3, and reactant concentrations of 100-500 ppm C2F5I in Ar were employed. Absorption-time profiles were recorded at selected wavelengths in the range 200-280 nm. It was found that the dissociation of C2F5I → C2F5 + I was followed by the dissociation C2F5 → CF2 + CF3, before the dimerization reactions 2CF2 → C2F4 and 2CF3 → C2F6 and a reaction CF2 + CF3 → CF + CF4 set in. The combination of iodine atoms with C2F5 and CF3 had also to be considered. The rate constant of the primary dissociation of C2F5I was analyzed in the framework of statistical unimolecular rate theory accompanied by a quantum-chemical characterization of molecular parameters. Rates of secondary reactions were modelled as well. Experimental rate constants for the dissociations of C2F5I and C2F5 agreed well with the modelling results. The comparably slow dimerization 2CF2 → C2F4 could be followed both by monitoring reactant CF2 and product C2F4 absorption signals, while CF3 dimerization was too fast to be detected. A competition between the dimerization reactions of CF2 and CF3, the recombination of CF2 and CF3 forming C2F5, and CF-forming processes like CF2 + CF3 → CF + CF4 finally was discussed.

High-Temperature Fluorocarbon Chemistry Revisited.

The thermal dissociation reactions of C2F4 and C2F6 were studied in shock waves over the temperature range 1000-4000 K using UV absorption spectroscopy. Absorption cross sections of C2F4, CF2, CF, and C2 were derived and related to quantum-chemically modeled oscillator strengths. After confirming earlier results for the dissociation rates of C2F4, CF3, and CF2, the kinetics of secondary reactions were investigated. For example, the reaction CF2 + CF2 → CF + CF3 was identified. Its rate constant of 1010 cm3 mol-1 s-1 near 2400 K is markedly larger than the limiting high-pressure rate constant of the dimerization CF2 + CF2 → C2F4, suggesting that the reaction follows a different path. When the measurements of the thermal dissociation CF2 (+Ar) → CF + F (+Ar) are extended to temperatures above 2500 K, the formation of C2 radicals was shown to involve the reaction CF + CF → C2F + F (modeled rate constant 8.0 × 1012 (T/3500 K)1.0 exp(-4400 K/T) cm3 mol-1 s-1) and the subsequent dissociation C2F (+Ar) → C2 + F + (Ar) (modeled limiting low-pressure rate constant 3.0 × 1016 (T/3500 K)-4.0 exp(-56880 K/T) cm3 mol-1 s-1). This mechanism was validated by monitoring the dissociation of C2 at temperatures close to 4000 K. Temperature- and pressure-dependences of rate constants of reactions involved in the system were modeled by quantum-chemistry based rate theory.

Falloff Curves of the Reaction CF3 (+M) → CF2 + F (+M).

The thermal dissociation reaction CF3 (+Ar) → CF2 + F (+Ar) was studied in incident and reflected shock waves by monitoring UV absorption signals of the primary dissociation product CF2. CF3 radicals were produced by thermal decomposition of CF3I. Accounting for secondary reactions of F atoms, rate constants for the unimolecular dissociation were derived. Experimental parts of the falloff curves were obtained over the ranges 1544-2106 K and 1.0 × 10-5 ≤ [Ar] ≤ 9.3 × 10-5 mol cm-3. Theoretical modeling allowed for a construction of the full falloff curves connecting the limiting low-pressure rate constants k0 = [Ar] 2.5 × 1018 (T/2000 K)-5.1 exp (-42 450 K/T) cm3 mol-1 s-1 with the limiting high-pressure rate constants k∞ = 1.6 × 1016 (T/2000 K)-1.3 exp (-43 250 K/T) s-1 (center broadening factors of Fcent = 0.25, 0.22, and 0.20 at 1500, 2000, and 2500 K, respectively, were used). The influence of simplifications of falloff expressions and of limiting rate constants on the representation of experimental data is discussed.

Falloff curves and mechanism of thermal decomposition of CF3I in shock waves.

The falloff curves of the unimolecular dissociation CF3I (+Ar) → CF3 + I (+Ar) are modelled by combining quantum-chemical characterizations of the potential energy surface for the reaction, standard unimolecular rate theory, and experimental information on the average energy transferred per collision between excited CF3I and Ar. The (essentially) parameter-free theoretical modelling gives results in satisfactory agreement with data deduced from earlier shock wave experiments employing a variety of reactant concentrations (between a few ppm and a few percent in the bath gas Ar). New experiments recording absorption-time signals of CF3I, I2, CF2 and (possibly) IF at 450-500 and 200-300 nm are reported. By analysing the decomposition mechanism, besides the unimolecular dissociation of CF3I, these provide insight into the influence of secondary reactions on the experimental observations.

Shock wave and modelling study of the dissociation pathways of (C2F5)3N.

The thermal decomposition of perfluorotriethylamine, (C2F5)3N, was investigated in shock waves by monitoring the formation of CF2. Experiments were performed over the temperature range of 1120-1450 K with reactant concentrations between 100 and 1000 ppm of (C2F5)3N in the bath gas Ar and with [Ar] in the range of (0.7-5.5) × 10-5 mol cm-3. The experiments were accompanied by quantum-chemical calculations of the energies of various dissociation paths and by rate calculations, in particular for the dissociation of C2F5via C2F5 → CF3 + CF2. The overall reaction can proceed in different ways, either by a sequence of successive C-N bond ruptures followed by fast C2F5 decompositions, or by a sequence of alternating C-C and C-N bond ruptures. A cross-over between the two pathways can also take place. At temperatures below about 1300 K, yields of less than one CF2 per (C2F5)3N decomposed were observed. On the other hand, at temperatures around 2000 K, when besides the parent molecule, CF3 also dissociates, yields of six CF2 per (C2F5)3N decomposed were measured. The rate-delaying steps of the dissociation mechanism at intermediate temperatures were suggested to be the processes (C2F5)NCF2 → (C2F5)N + CF2 and (CF2)N → N + CF2. The reduction of the CF2 yields at low temperatures was tentatively attributed to a branching of the mechanism at the level of (C2F5)2NCF2, from where the cyclic final product perfluoro-N-methylpyrrolidine, (C4F8)NCF3, is formed which was identified in earlier work from the literature.

Experimental and modelling study of the multichannel thermal dissociations of CH3F and CH2F.

The thermal unimolecular dissociation of CH3F was studied in shock waves by monitoring the UV absorption of a dissociation product identified as CH2F. It is concluded that, under conditions applied, the formation of this species corresponds to a minor, spin-allowed, dissociation channel of about 3% yield. Near to the low-pressure limit of the reaction, on the other hand, the energetically more favourable dissociation leads to 3CH2 + HF on a dominant, spin-forbidden, pathway. By considering the multichannel character of the reaction, it is shown that, in contrast to the low-pressure range, the high-pressure range of the reaction should be dominated by CH2F formation. The channel-switching probably takes place at pressures higher than those applied in the present work. In addition to the two dissociation channels of CH3F producing 3CH2 + HF and CH2F + H, a third, spin-allowed, dissociation channel leading to 1CHF + H2 was also considered and estimated to proceed with a yield smaller than 0.5%. Besides the dissociation of CH3F, the dissociation of CH2F was studied by monitoring the UV spectrum of CH2F. Details of this spectrum were investigated. Similar to CH3F, the dissociation of CH2F can proceed on several dissociation channels, under the present conditions either to CHF + H or to CF + H2. After modelling single-channel falloff curves for all reaction pathways, coupling effects of multichannel dissociations were interpreted in the framework of multichannel unimolecular rate theory.

Electronically nonadiabatic mechanism of the vibrational relaxation of NO in Ar: Rate coefficients from ab initio potentials and asymptotic coupling.

In this paper, the electronically nonadiabatic Landau-Zener (LZ) mechanism for the vibrational relaxation v = 1 → v = 0 of NO(X2Π) in collisions with Ar(S01) is discussed. It corresponds to nonadiabatic transitions between two crossing vibronic potential energy surfaces (PESs) originating from vibrational states of the collision complex and supported by two coupled electronic PESs. The LZ rate coefficients k10LZ are calculated within the uniform Airy approach in the reaction coordinate approximation with parameters derived from ab initio PESs and an asymptotic estimation of the Franck-Condon factor in the nonadiabatic coupling region. The rate coefficients are close to the experimental rate coefficients available over the range of 900-2500 K, where the electronically adiabatic Landau-Teller (LT) mechanism with the rate coefficients k10LT does not make a noticeable contribution to the total relaxation rate. The ratio k10LZ/k10LT increases with temperature and the LZ and LT mechanisms have comparable rates at about 4000 K.

Shock wave studies of the pyrolysis of fluorocarbon oxygenates. I. The thermal dissociation of C3F6O and CF3COF.

The thermal decomposition of hexafluoropropylene oxide, C3F6O, to perfluoroacetyl fluoride, CF3COF, and CF2 has been studied in shock waves highly diluted in Ar between 630 and 1000 K. The measured rate constant k1 = 1.1 × 1014 exp(-162(±4) kJ mol-1/RT) s-1 agrees well with literature data and modelling results. Using the reaction as a precursor, equimolar mixtures of CF3COF and CF2 were further heated. Combining experimental observations with theoretical modelling (on the CBS-QB3 and G4MP2 ab initio composite levels), CF3COF is shown to dissociate on two channels, either leading to CF2 + COF2 or to CF3 + FCO. By monitoring the CF2 signals, the branching ratio was determined between 1400 and 1900 K. The high pressure rate constants for the two channels were obtained from theoretical modelling as k5,∞(CF3COF → CF2 + COF2) = 7.1 × 1014 exp(-320 kJ mol-1/RT) s-1 and k6,∞(CF3COF → CF3 + FCO) = 3.9 × 1015 exp(-355 kJ mol-1/RT) s-1. The experimental results obtained at [Ar] ≈ 5 × 10-6 mol cm-3 were consistent with modelling results, showing that the reaction is in the falloff range of the unimolecular dissociation. The mechanism of secondary reactions following CF3COF dissociation has been analysed as well.

Shock wave studies of the pyrolysis of fluorocarbon oxygenates. II. The thermal dissociation of C4F8O.

The thermal decomposition of octafluorooxalane, C4F8O, to C2F4 + CF2 + COF2 has been studied in shock waves highly diluted in Ar between 1300 and 2200 K. The primary dissociation was shown to be followed by secondary dissociation of C2F4 and dimerization of CF2. The primary dissociation was found to be in its falloff range and falloff curves were constructed. The limiting low and high pressure rate constants were estimated and compared with modelling results. Quantum-chemical calculations identified possible reaction pathways, either leading directly to the final products of the reaction or passing through an open-chain CF2CF2CF2 intermediate which dissociates in a second step.

Kinetic and Spectroscopic Studies of the Reaction of CF2 with H2 in Shock Waves.

The reaction of CF2 with H2 was studied in shock waves by monitoring UV absorption signals. CF2 was prepared by thermal dissociation of C2F4 (or of c-C3F6). The rate constant of the reaction CF2 + H2 → CHF + HF near 2000 K was found to be close to 1011 cm3 mol-1 s-1, consistent with earlier information on the reverse reaction CHF + HF → CF2 + H2 and a modeled equilibrium constant. The kinetic studies were accompanied by spectroscopic investigations. Absorption cross sections of C2F4 between 190 and 220 nm were measured near 1000 K and compared with room-temperature values from the literature. Likewise, absorption cross sections of CF2 near 2000 K were measured between 210 and 300 nm and compared with room-temperature data. Additional superimposed absorption signals were recorded during the reaction and identified by their time dependence and by quantum-chemical calculations employing time-dependent density functional theory. A previously unknown absorption spectrum of CHF radicals near 200 nm was identified and its wavelength dependence determined. Further strong absorptions between 190 and 300 nm were attributed to CH2F and CF radicals. Absorptions at longer wavelengths, reaching up to 510 nm, were postulated to arise from C2 radicals formed at later stages of the reaction.

Shock Wave and Theoretical Modeling Study of the Dissociation of CH2F2. II. Secondary Reactions.

The thermal dissociation of CH2F2 and the reaction of CF2 with H2 was studied in shock waves over the temperature range 1800-2200 K, monitoring the absorption-time profiles at 248 nm. Besides contributions from CF2, the signals showed strong absorptions from secondary reaction products, probably mostly CH2F formed by the reaction CHF + H2 → CH2F + H. Rate constants of a series of possible secondary reactions were modeled, including falloff curves for the thermal dissociations of CHF, CHF2, and CH2F and rate constants of the reactions CHF + CH2F2 → CHF2 + CH2F, CHF + H2 → CH2F + H, H + CH2F2 → CHF2 + H2, H + CF2 → CF + HF, and H + CF → C + HF. On this basis, concentration-time profiles were simulated and compared with experimental absorption-time profiles.

Shock Wave and Theoretical Modeling Study of the Dissociation of CH2F2. I. Primary Processes.

The unimolecular dissociation of CH2F2 leading to CF2 + H2, CHF + HF, or CHF2 + H is investigated by quantum-chemical calculations and unimolecular rate theory. Modeling of the rate constants is accompanied by shock wave experiments over the range of 1400-1800 K, monitoring the formation of CF2. It is shown that the energetically most favorable dissociation channel leading to CF2 + H2 has a higher threshold energy than the energetically less favorable one leading to CHF + HF. Falloff curves of the dissociations are modeled. Under the conditions of the described experiments, the primary dissociation CH2F2 → CHF + HF is followed by the reaction CHF + HF → CF2 + H2. The experimental value of the rate constant for the latter reaction indicates that it does not proceed by an addition-elimination process involving CH2F2* intermediates, as assumed before.

Relocking of intrinsic angular momenta in collisions of diatoms with ions: Capture of H2(j = 0,1) by H2.

Rate coefficients for capture of H2(j = 0,1) by H2+ are calculated in perturbed rotor approximation, i.e., at collision energies considerably lower than Bhc (where B denotes the rotational constant of H2). The results are compared with the results from an axially nonadiabatic channel (ANC) approach, the latter providing a very good approximation from the low-temperature Bethe-Wigner to the high temperature Langevin limit. The classical ANC approximation performs satisfactorily at temperatures above 0.1 K. At 0.1 K, the rate coefficient for j=1 is about 25% higher than that for j = 0 while the latter is close to the Langevin rate coefficient. The Bethe-Wigner limit of the rate coefficient for j = 1 is about twice that for j = 0. The analysis of the relocking of the intrinsic angular momentum of H2 during the course of the collision illustrates the significance of relocking in capture dynamics in general.

The vibrational relaxation of NO in Ar: tunneling in a curve-crossing mechanism.

Experimental data for the vibrational relaxation NO(X(2)Π, v = 1) + Ar → NO(X(2)Π, v = 0) + Ar between 300 and 2000 K are analyzed. The measured rate coefficients k10 greatly exceed Landau-Teller values (LT)k10. This observation can be attributed to a mechanism involving curve-crossing of the (A'', v = 1) and (A', v = 0) vibronic states of the collision system. At high temperatures, the rate coefficients k10 are well represented by the thermally averaged Landau-Zener rate constant (LZ)k10 with an apparent Arrhenius activation energy Ea/kB near 4500 K. At intermediate temperatures, around T = 900 K, the measured k10 values are a factor of two higher than the extrapolated (LZ)k10 values. This deviation is attributed to tunneling in nonadiabatic curve-crossing transitions, which are analyzed within the Airy approximation (linear model for crossing diabatic curves) and an effective mass approach. This suggests a substantial contribution of hindered rotation of NO to the nonadiabatic perturbation. The extrapolation of the Airy probabilities to even lower temperatures (by the Landau-Lifshitz WKB tunneling expression for simple nonlinear model potentials) indicates a further marked increase of the tunneling contribution beyond the extrapolated (LZ)k10. Near 300 K, the k10 can be two to three orders of magnitude higher than the extrapolated (LZ)k10. This agrees with the limited available experimental data for NO-Ar relaxation near room temperature.

Shock wave study and theoretical modeling of the thermal decomposition of c-C4F8.

The thermal dissociation of octafluorocyclobutane, c-C4F8, was studied in shock waves over the range 1150-2300 K by recording UV absorption signals of CF2. It was found that the primary reaction nearly exclusively produces 2 C2F4 which afterwards decomposes to 4 CF2. A primary reaction leading to CF2 + C3F6 is not detected (an upper limit to the yield of the latter channel was found to be about 10 percent). The temperature range of earlier single pulse shock wave experiments was extended. The reaction was shown to be close to its high pressure limit. Combining high and low temperature results leads to a rate constant for the primary dissociation of k1 = 10(15.97) exp(-310.5 kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1) in the range 630-1330 K, over which k1 varies over nearly 14 orders of magnitude. Calculations of the energetics of the reaction pathway and the rate constants support the conclusions from the experiments. Also they shed light on the role of the 1,4-biradical CF2CF2CF2CF2 as an intermediate of the reaction.

Simplified Representation of Partial and Total Rate Constants of Complex-Forming Bimolecular Reactions.

The temperature and pressure dependence of partial and total rate constants of complex-forming bimolecular reactions are investigated with the goal to obtain simplified and compact rate constant expressions suitable for data compilations. The transition of the reactions from low pressure chemical activation to high pressure association character is analyzed. The two processes are modeled separately first by solving master equations, leading to "inverse" and "normal" falloff curves, respectively, and allowing for a compact representation of the separated rate constants. It is shown that broadening factors of the two falloff curves are different, and those of chemical activation often approaching unity. Coupling of the two separate processes then is modeled in a simplified manner. Finally, thermal redissociation of the adducts formed by association is accounted for.

Further insight into the tunneling contribution to the vibrational relaxation of NO in Ar.

Tunneling corrections to Landau-Zener rate coefficients for the vibrational relaxation NO(X(2)Π, v = 1) + Ar → NO(X(2)Π, v = 0) + Ar between 300 and 2000 K are determined employing ab initio potential energy surfaces calculated by the code provided by Alexander [J. Chem. Phys. 111, 7426 (1999)]. The calculations use a reaction coordinate approach and lead to vibronically nonadiabatic transition probabilities within the generalized Airy approximation as extended to the WKB underbarrier Landau-Lifshitz limit. The calculations confirm experimental evidence for an onset of major tunneling contributions to the relaxation rate at temperatures below about 900 K and rationalize large tunneling contributions at 300 K. These effects increase the rate coefficients by several orders of magnitude over the uncorrected Landau-Zener values and remove the large gap between the latter and experimental results.

Shock wave and modeling study of the thermal decomposition reactions of pentafluoroethane and 2-H-heptafluoropropane.

The thermal decomposition reactions of CF3CF2H and CF3CFHCF3 have been studied in shock waves by monitoring the appearance of CF2 radicals. Temperatures in the range 1400-2000 K and Ar bath gas concentrations in the range (2-10) × 10(-5) mol cm(-3) were employed. It is shown that the reactions are initiated by C-C bond fission and not by HF elimination. Differing conclusions in the literature about the primary decomposition products, such as deduced from experiments at very low pressures, are attributed to unimolecular falloff effects. By increasing the initial reactant concentrations in Ar from 60 to 1000 ppm, a retardation of CF2 formation was observed while the final CF2 yields remained close to two CF2 per C2F5H or three CF2 per C3F7H decomposed. This is explained by secondary bimolecular reactions which lead to comparably stable transient species like CF3H, releasing CF2 at a slower rate. Quantum-chemical calculations and kinetic modeling help to identify the reaction pathways and provide estimates of rate constants for a series of primary and secondary reactions in the decomposition mechanism.