Reactant partition function

The electronic partition function of the transition state is expressed in terms of the activation energy (the energy of the transition state relative to the electronic energy of the reactants) E as ... 

If hvQ is small compared with kT, the partition function becomes kT/hvQ. The function kT jh which pre-multiplies the collision number in the uansition state theoty of the bimolecular collision reaction can therefore be described as resulting from vibration of frequency vq along the transition bond between the A and B atoms, and measures the time between each potential n ansition from reactants to product which will only occur provided that die activation energy, AEq is available. 

In Eq. (44), gei(T ) is the ratio of transition state and reactant electronic partition functions [31] and the rotational degeneracy factor = (2ji + l)(2/2 + 1) for heteronuclear diatomics, and will also include nuclear spin considerations in the case of homonuclear diatomics. 

We express the equilibrium constant in terms of the partition functions of both the reactant and the transition state, and we take the partition function of the reaction coordinate separately ... 

By applying the machinery of statistical thermodynamics we have derived expressions for the adsorption, reaction, and desorption of molecules on and from a surface. The rate constants can in each case be described as a ratio between partition functions of the transition state and the reactants. Below, we summarize the most important results for elementary surface reactions. In principle, all the important constants involved (prefactors and activation energies) can be calculated from the partitions functions. These are, however, not easily obtainable and, where possible, experimentally determined values are used. 

Table 10.4 lists the rate parameters for the elementary steps of the CO + NO reaction in the limit of zero coverage. Parameters such as those listed in Tab. 10.4 form the highly desirable input for modeling overall reaction mechanisms. In addition, elementary rate parameters can be compared to calculations on the basis of the theories outlined in Chapters 3 and 6. In this way the kinetic parameters of elementary reaction steps provide, through spectroscopy and computational chemistry, a link between the intramolecular properties of adsorbed reactants and their reactivity Statistical thermodynamics furnishes the theoretical framework to describe how equilibrium constants and reaction rate constants depend on the partition functions of vibration and rotation. Thus, spectroscopy studies of adsorbed reactants and intermediates provide the input for computing equilibrium constants, while calculations on the transition states of reaction pathways, starting from structurally, electronically and vibrationally well-characterized ground states, enable the prediction of kinetic parameters. 

Specifically, following the rate expression of QTST in Eq. (4-1) and assuming the quantum transmission coefficients the dynamic frequency factors are the same, the kinetic isotope effect between two isopotic reactions L and H is rewritten in terms of the ratio of the partial partition functions at the centroid reactant and transition state... 

This relation indicates that the rate constant can be determined from a knowledge of the partition functions of the activated complex and the reactant species. For stable molecules or atoms... 

The function g is the partition function for the transition state, and Qr is the product of the partition functions for the reactant molecules. The partition function essentially counts the number of ways that thermal energy can be stored in the various modes (translation, rotation, vibration, etc.) of a system of molecules, and is directly related to the number of quantum states available at each energy. This is related to the freedom of motion in the various modes. From equations 6.5-7 and -16, we see that the entropy change is related to the ratio of the partition functions ... 

The ratio of translational partition functions (Qjr/Qtr) is 1 here, and for all unimolecular reactions, because the mass and number of molecules of the reactants is the same as for the transition state. The rotational ratio (Q, /Q, ) is given by the ratio of the moments of inertia (/ //t/2/3)1/2- The moments of inertia are probably slightly higher in the... 

Show that, for the bimolecular reaction A + B - P, where A and B are hard spheres, kTsr is given by the same result as jfcSCT, equation 6.4-17. A and B contain no internal modes, and the transition state is the configuration in which A and B are touching (at distance dAR between centers). The partition functions for the reactants contain only translational modes (one factor in Qr for each reactant), while the transition state has one translation mode and two rotational modes. The moment of inertia (/ in Table 6.2) of the transition state (the two spheres touching) is where p, is reduced mass (equation 6.4-6). 

Since the energy is the amount of energy that the reactant must acquire at 0°K, before they can react, E0 is the hypothetical energy of activation at this temperature. The partition functions in this expression must be evaluated with respect to zero point levels of the respective molecules. 

The partition function ratios needed for the calculation of the isotope effect on the equilibrium constant K will be calculated, as before, in the harmonic-oscillator-rigid-rotor approximation for both reactants and transition states. One obtains in terms of molecular partition functions q... 

Equation 4.139 has been written for the case where the isotopic substitution is on reactant molecule A only. Therefore the qs ratio in the numerator cancels. The partition function ratio qA2/qAi in the numerator can be replaced by isotopic ratios of translational, rotational, and vibrational partition functions as in Equation 4.76. However, in the denominator one has to be careful to remember that the isotopic partition ratio involves the q functions which contain only 3N -7 (for a linear... 

It is important to point out once again that explanations (rationalizations) of isotope effects which employ arguments invoking hyperconjugation and/or steric effects are completely equivalent to the standard interpretation of KIE s in terms of isotope independent force constant differences, reactant to transition state. In turn, these force constant differences describe isotope dependent vibrational frequencies and frequency differences which are not the same in reactant and transition states. The vibrational frequencies determine the partition functions and partition function ratios in the two states and thus define KIE. The entire process occurs on an isotope independent potential energy surface. This is not to claim that the... 

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