RRKM theory rotations

RRKM theory assumes a microcanonical ensemble of A vibrational/rotational states within the energy interval E E + dE, so that each of these states is populated statistically with an equal probability [4]. This assumption of a microcanonical distribution means that the unimolecular rate constant for A only depends on energy, and not on the maimer in which A is energized. If N(0) is the number of A molecules excited at / =... 

A situation that arises from the intramolecular dynamics of A and completely distinct from apparent non-RRKM behaviour is intrinsic non-RRKM behaviour [9], By this, it is meant that A has a non-random P(t) even if the internal vibrational states of A are prepared randomly. This situation arises when transitions between individual molecular vibrational/rotational states are slower than transitions leading to products. As a result, the vibrational states do not have equal dissociation probabilities. In tenns of classical phase space dynamics, slow transitions between the states occur when the reactant phase space is metrically decomposable [13,14] on the timescale of the imimolecular reaction and there is at least one bottleneck [9] in the molecular phase space other than the one defining the transition state. An intrinsic non-RRKM molecule decays non-exponentially with a time-dependent unimolecular rate constant or exponentially with a rate constant different from that of RRKM theory. 

Variational RRKM theory is particularly important for imimolecular dissociation reactions, in which vibrational modes of the reactant molecule become translations and rotations in the products [22]. For CH —> CHg+H dissociation there are tlnee vibrational modes of this type, i.e. the C—H stretch which is the reaction coordinate and the two degenerate H—CH bends, which first transfomi from high-frequency to low-frequency vibrations and then hindered rotors as the H—C bond ruptures. These latter two degrees of freedom are called transitional modes [24,25]. C2Hg 2CH3 dissociation has five transitional modes, i.e. two pairs of degenerate CH rocking/rotational motions and the CH torsion. 

Of course, in a thermal reaction, molecules of the reactant do not all have the same energy, and so application of RRKM theory to the evaluation of the overall unimolecular rate constant, k m, requires that one specify the distribution of energies. This distribution is usually derived from the Lindemann-Hinshelwood model, in which molecules A become activated to vibrationally and rotationally excited states A by collision with some other molecules in the system, M. In this picture, collisions between M and A are assumed to transfer energy in the other direction, that is, returning A to A ... 

Second, we calculate the unimolecular rate constant at the internal energy E via the RRKM theory. We use Eq. (7.54), where the rotational energy is neglected and where the sum and density of vibrational states are evaluated classically. Thus at E = 184 kJ/mol we get... 

The unimolecular rate constant k(E) is described within the framework of RRKM theory. In the following, we neglect the rotational energy in HCN as well as in the activated complex. The classical barrier height is Ec = 1.51 eV. 

Dependence of h, on the Number of Degrees of Freedom. Detailed tests of the RRKM theory have led to the conclusion15,18 18 that all vibrational and internal rotational degrees of freedom are active both in the molecule and in the activated complex. Therefore, simultaneous reactions of the same molecule are not expected to have an unequal number of degrees of freedom. Virtually all comparisons of the effect of... 

Pressure-dependent rate constants for the syn-anti conformational process in larger alkyl nitrites provide a further test of the ability of RRKM theory to successfully model the kinetics of the internal rotation process in these molecules. Solution of the Lindemann mechanism shows that at the pressure where the rate constant is one-half of its limiting high-pressure value, Pm, the frequency of deactivating collisions is comparable to , the average rate that critically... 

RRKM theory assumes both the statistical approximation and the existence of the TS. It assumes a microcanonical ensemble, where all the molecules have equivalent energy E. This energy exceeds the energy of the TS (Eq), thanks to vibration, rotation, and/or translation energy. Invoking an equilibrium between the TS (the activated complex) and reactant, the rate of reaction is... 

Conventional RRKM theory estimates for N" (E,J) are then obtained via a convolution with the rigid rotor rotational energy levels, E, oi(J,K). for the molecular structure at the stationary point ... 

A general expression taking into account the rotational energy was derived from RRKM theory.29 If the intermediate C is sufficiently short-lived (or the total pressure is sufficiently low) that it is not stabilized by collisions, the rate constant k for the formation of the product(s) can be written as... 

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