Dissociative electron transfer Morse curve model

Fig. 1 Morse curve modeling of the contribution of bond-breaking to the dynamics of dissociative electron transfer...

There is thus an apparent continuity between the kinetics of an electron transfer leading to a stable product and a dissociative electron transfer. The reason for this continuity is the use of a Morse curve to model the stretching of a bond in a stable product in the first case and the use of a Morse curve also to model a weak charge-dipole interaction in the second case. We will come back later to the distinction between stepwise and concerted mechanisms in the framework of this continuity of kinetic behavior. 

A semi-classical treatment171-175 of the model depicted in Fig. 15, based on the Morse curve theory of thermal dissociative electron transfer described earlier, allows the prediction of the quantum yield as a function of the electronic matrix coupling element, H.54 The various states to be considered in the region where the zero-order potential energy curves cross each other are shown in the insert of Fig. 15. The treatment of the whole kinetics leads to the expression of the complete quenching fragmentation quantum yield, oc, given in equation (61)... 

FIGURE 3.2. Variation of the rate constants of dissociative electron transfer from aromatic anion radicals to butyl and benzyl halides as a function of steric hindrance. Data points from reference 10. Solid lines, best-fit parabola dashed lines, prediction of the Morse curve model, logAf-1 s-1). Adapted from Figure 3 of reference 6b, with permission from the American Chemical Society. 

Morse Curve Model of Intramolecular Dissociative Electron Transfer... 

The classical Morse curve model of intramolecular dissociative electron transfer, leading to equations (3.23) to (3.27), involves the following free energy surfaces for the reactant (Grx-) and product (Gr +x ) systems, respectively ... 

In the stepwise case, the intermediate ion radical cleaves in a second step. Adaptation of the Morse curve model to the dynamics of ion radical cleavages, viewed as intramolecular dissociative electron transfers. Besides the prediction of the cleavage rate constants, this adaptation opens the possibility of predicting the rate constants for the reverse reaction (i.e., the reaction of radicals with nucleophiles). The latter is the key step of SrnI chemistry, in which electrons (e.g., electrons from an electrode) may be used as catalysts of a chemical reaction. A final section of the chapter deals... 

The kinetics of the electron transfer reaction leading to the homolytically dissociating primary radical is also a question of interest. It may be modeled using the Morse curve for the reactant and the Morse curve shown in Fig. 10 representing the homolytic dissociation of the primary radical. This point will be discussed in detail in Section 5. 

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