Quantum Rice - Ramsperger- Kassel -Marcus

Marcus developed a quantum mechanical formulation of Kassel-Rice-Ramsperger theories in which zero point energies have been taken into account (see flow chart). However, due to lack of data for individual molecules it is difficult to apply the theory of Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM)... 

Nowadays, the basic framework of our understanding of elementary processes is the transition state or activated complex theory. Formulations of this theory may be found in refs. 1—13. Recent achievements have been the Rice—Ramsperger—Kassel—Marcus (RRKM) theory of unimol-ecular reactions (see, for example, ref. 14 and Chap. 4 of this volume) and the so-called thermochemical kinetics developed by Benson and co-workers [15] for estimating thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of gas phase reactions. Computers are used in the theory of elementary processes for quantum mechanical and statistical mechanical computations. However, this theme will not be discussed further here. 

Theoretical Expressions. The Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM14) theory of unimolecular reactions employs a quantum statis-... 

Another advantage of the quantum calculations is that they provide a rigorous test of approximate methods for calculating dissociation rates, namely classical trajectories and statistical models. Two commonly used statistical theories are the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory and the statistical adiabatic channel model (SACM). The first one is thoroughly discussed in Chapter 2, while the second one is briefly reviewed in the Introduction. Moreover, the quantum mechanical approach is indispensable in analyzing the reaction mechanisms. A resonance state is characterized not only by its position, width and the distribution of product states, but also by an individual wave function. Analysis of the nodal structure of resonance wave functions gives direct access to the mechanisms of state- and mode-selectivity. 

In this spirit, we will also briefly describe the basis for some of the microscopic kinetic theories of unimolecular reaction rates that have arisen from nonlinear dynamics. Unlike the classical versions of Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory and transition state theory, these theories explicitly take into account nonstatistical dynamical effects such as barrier recrossing, quasiperiodic trapping (both of which generally slow down the reaction rate), and other interesting effects. The implications for quantum dynamics are currently an active area of investigation. 

Energy Constrained and Quantum Anharmonic Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus and Phase Space Theory Rate Constants For AI3 Dissociation. 

Single-pulse shock tube studies of the thermal dehydrochlorination reactions of chlorocyclopentane and chlorocyclohexane at temperatures of 843-1021 K and pressures of 1.4-2.4 bar have been carried out using the comparative rate technique. Absolute rate constants provided a self-consistent temperature scale of use in comparison with chemical systems studied with different temperature standards. Quantum chemical methods have been used to compute the structure and energies of reactants, products, and transition states. The computations were used, in conjunction with experimentally determined rate constants, to develop Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM)/ Master Equation models and thereby allow extrapolation of the experimental data over an extended range of temperatures. 

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