Rate theory RRKM method

The lowest-lying potential energy surfaces for the 0(3P) + CH2=C=CH2 reaction were theoretically characterized using CBS-QB3, RRKM statistical rate theory, and weak-collision master equation analysis using the exact stochastic simulation method. The results predicted that the electrophilic O-addition pathways on the central and terminal carbon atom are dominant up to combustion temperatures. Major predicted end-products are in agreement with experimental evidence. New H-abstraction pathways, resulting in OH and propargyl radicals, have been identified.254... 

A method developed to predict the rates of ion-molecule association reactions (Olmstead et al, 1976) was based on a quick randomization of energy in the collision complex and on treating the baekward decomposition of the collision complex by an application of the RRKM theory. The method was successfully applied to predict both the pressure dependence and the temperature dependence of the association rates of proton-bound dimers of ammonia, methylamine, and dimethylamine. 

Vibrational frequencies for various normal modes must be estimated and active as well as inactive energies should be decided. Numerical methods may be used to calculate rate constant k at various concentrations obtained by RRKM theory. The rate constant has been found to be same as given by conventional transition state theory, i.e. 

Transition state theory yields rate coefficients at the high-pressure limit (i.e., statistical equilibrium). For reactions that are pressure-dependent, more sophisticated methods such as RRKM rate calculations coupled with master equation calculations (to estimate collisional energy transfer) allow for estimation of low-pressure rates. Rate coefficients obtained over a range of temperatures can be used to obtain two- and three-parameter Arrhenius expressions ... 

Rice et al. [99] developed a global potential energy surface based on the Mowrey et al. [103] results and performed extensive classical trajectory calculations to study the dynamics of the CH2NN02 dissociation reactions. They calculated rates for reactions (III) and (IV) with classical barriers of 35 and 37 kcal/mol, respectively. They found that N-N bond fission dominates at low energy but that HONO elimination is competitive. Chakraborty and Lin [104] predict the opposite on the basis of their ab initio barriers and RRKM theory calculations. The two dissociations channels are closely competitive and it is not clear that ab initio methods are sufficiently reliable to distinguish between two reactions that have such similar energy requirements. Also, the Zhao et al. results [33] are not in accord with the theoretical predictions. 

It must be emphasized that such phenomena are to be expected for a statistical system only in the regime of low level densities. Theories like RRKM and phase space theory (PST) (Pechukas and Light 1965) are applicable when such quantum fluctuations are absent for example, due to a large density of states and/or averaging over experimental parameter such as parent rotational levels in the case of incomplete expansion-cooling and/or the laser linewidth in ultrafast experiments. However, in the present case, it is unlikely that such phenomena can be invoked to explain why different rates are obtained when using ultrafast pump-probe methods that differ only in experimental detail. 

A more general discussion of the dependence of the decomposition rate on internal energy was developed by Marcus and Rice [4] and further refined and applied by Marcus [5] (RRKM). Their method is to obtain the reaction rate by summing over each of the accessible quantum states of the transition complex. The first-order rate coefficient for decomposition of an energised molecule is shown to be proportional to the ratio of the total internal quantum states of the transition complex divided by the density of states (states per unit energy) of the excited molecule. It is a great advance over previous theory because it can be applied to real molecules, counting the states from the known vibrational frequencies. 

Statistical methods represent a background for, e.g., the theory of the activated complex (239), the RRKM theory of unimolecular decay (240), the quasi-equilibrium theory of mass spectra (241), and the phase space theory of reaction kinetics (242). These theories yield results in terms of the total reaction cross-sections or detailed macroscopic rate constants. The RRKM and the phase space theory can be obtained as special cases of the single adiabatic channel model (SACM) developed by Quack and Troe (243). The SACM of unimolecular decay provides information on the distribution of the relative kinetic energy of the products released as well as on their angular distributions. 

Reported gas-phase NMR studies have compared experimental pressure-dependent rate constants obtained from lineshape analyses with those calculated using RRKM theory which assumes stochastic IVR. This method is sensitive to significant departures from RRKM theory but cannot distinguish smaller departures due... 

Chemical kinetic rate methods including conventional transition state theory (TST), canonical variational transition state theory (CVTST) and Rice-Ramsper-ger-Kassel-Marcus in conjunction with master equation (RRKM/ME) and separate statistical ensemble (SSE) have been successfully applied to the hydrocarbon oxidation. Transition state theory has been developed and employed in many disciplines of chemistry [41 4]. In the atmospheric chemistry field, conventional transition state theory is employed to calculate the high-pressure-limit unimole-cular or bimolecular rate constants if a well-defined transition state (i.e., a tight... 

The fact that the RRKM rate coefficient is an upper bound on the exact classical solution for the rate coefficient is actually very useful, as it leads to a method for optimizing the position of the transition state. It is not always obvious where on the reaction coordinate the transition state should be located. If the reaction has a well defined potential barrier the natural place to locate the transition state is at the maximum of the potential barrier (the transition structure). However, if there is no barrier, there is no obvious location for the transition state. Since it is guaranteed that the theory wiU overestimate the classical rate coefficient, the position of the transition state along the reaction coordinate can be varied until the calculated rate coefficient passes through a minimum. This minimum value will be the optimal estimate of the rate coefficient and the corresponding location of the transition state will also be optimal. 

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. 

The time scales of the structural transitions in (NaCl)35Cl mean that it is impossible to use conventional molecular dynamics to investigate the interfunnel dynamics. Instead we use the master equation method outlined in Section III.D. To reduce the computational expense and numerical difficulties we recursively removed from our sample those minima that are only connected to one other minimum—these dead-end minima do not contribute directly to the probability flow between different regions of the PES. The resulting pruned sample had 1624 minima and 2639 transition states. RRKM theory in the harmonic approximation was used to model the individual rate constants,. ... 

Poor agreement is observed between the experimental and theoretical values [calculated by a combined method, that is, quantum-chemical calculation of the activation energy (Table 37.7 and Table 37.8) and the frequencies of the vibrations of the bonds in the prereaction complex and in the transition state and calculation of the rate constants on the basis of RRKM theory] for certain processes where the effects of electron correlation and the contributions of the excited electronic configurations are not predominant [68-73]. 

PH2+CH3+M CH3PH2 + M. The formation of CH3PH2 was mass spectrometrically observed [34]. A high-pressure recombination rate constant k c=1 2x10 ° exp(-37/T) was calculated with the RRKM theory [20] using a method taken from [21]. 

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