Smoluchowski equation, diffusion controlled reactions

The Smoluchowski theory for diffusion-controlled reactions, when combined with the Stokes-Einstein equation for the diffusion coefficient, predicts that the rate constant for a diffusion-controlled reaction will be inversely proportional to the solution viscosity.16 Therefore, the literature values for the bimolecular electron transfer reactions (measured for a solution viscosity of r ) were adjusted by multiplying by the factor r 1/r 2 to obtain the adjusted value of the kinetic constant... 

Smoluchowski, who worked on the rate of coagulation of colloidal particles, was a pioneer in the development of the theory of diffusion-controlled reactions. His theory is based on the assumption that the probability of reaction is equal to 1 when A and B are at the distance of closest approach (Rc) ( absorbing boundary condition ), which corresponds to an infinite value of the intrinsic rate constant kR. The rate constant k for the dissociation of the encounter pair can thus be ignored. As a result of this boundary condition, the concentration of B is equal to zero on the surface of a sphere of radius Rc, and consequently, there is a concentration gradient of B. The rate constant for reaction k (t) can be obtained from the flux of B, in the concentration gradient, through the surface of contact with A. This flux depends on the radial distribution function of B, p(r, t), which is a solution of Fick s equation... 

As is known, rate constants for diffusion-controlled reactions can be described by the Debye-Smoluchowski equation ... 

Diffusion-controlled reactions between ions in solution are strongly influenced by the Coulomb interaction accelerating or retarding ion diffusion. In this case, the diffusion equation for p concerning motion of one reactant about the other stationary reactant, the Debye-Smoluchowski equation. 

Equating the expressions (1.1) and (1.2), we find that the rate constant for a diffusion-controlled reaction is given by the following, often called the Smoluchowski equation [13,a] ... 

There are some limits where the Smoluchowski s equation can be solved by simple methods. First one has to discuss the kernels. Consider a diffusion-controlled reaction where the clusters grow in time. Then the cluster size increases and the typical radius of a cluster can be written as R(i) where df is the fractal dimension of the cluster containing i monomers. With increasing size the diffusion constant decreases according to Stoke s law and one can assume a power law for the diffusion constant of the cluster, i.e. The reaction constants are then of the... 

In this section the foundations of the theory underlying chemical kinetics are presented. Based on the diffusion equation to describe Brownian motion together with Smoluchowski s theory [ 1, 2], a thorough derivation of the bulk reaction rate constant for neutral species for both diffusion and partially diffusion controlled reactions is presented. This theory is then extended for charged species in subsequent sections. 

The experimental and simulation results presented here indicate that the system viscosity has an important effect on the overall rate of the photosensitization of diary liodonium salts by anthracene. These studies reveal that as the viscosity of the solvent is increased from 1 to 1000 cP, the overall rate of the photosensitization reaction decreases by an order of magnitude. This decrease in reaction rate is qualitatively explained using the Smoluchowski-Stokes-Einstein model for the rate constants of the bimolecular, diffusion-controlled elementary reactions in the numerical solution of the kinetic photophysical equations. A more quantitative fit between the experimental data and the simulation results was obtained by scaling the bimolecular rate constants by rj"07 rather than the rf1 as suggested by the Smoluchowski-Stokes-Einstein analysis. These simulation results provide a semi-empirical correlation which may be used to estimate the effective photosensitization rate constant for viscosities ranging from 1 to 1000 cP. 

The analytical solution of the Smoluchowski equation for a Coulomb potential has been found by Hong and Noolandi [13]. Their results of the pair survival probability, obtained for the boundary condition (11a) with R = 0, are presented in Fig. 2. The solid lines show W t) calculated for two different values of Yq. The horizontal axis has a unit of r /D, which characterizes the timescale of the kinetics of geminate recombination in a particular system For example, in nonpolar liquids at room temperature r /Z) 10 sec. Unfortunately, the analytical treatment presented by Hong and Noolandi [13] is rather complicated and inconvenient for practical use. Tabulated values of W t) can be found in Ref. 14. The pair survival probability of geminate ion pairs can also be calculated numerically [15]. In some cases, numerical methods may be a more convenient approach to calculate W f), especially when the reaction cannot be assumed as totally diffusion-controlled. 

The rate coefficient (k2 enc) for the collision of two species is given by 8RT/3Z (where Z is the viscosity of the medium at the reaction temperature), the Smoluchowski equation. This is the maximum possible rate of reaction, which is controlled by the rate at which the two reacting species diffuse together. For nitration in >90% H2S04, where nitric acid is completely ionized, if exclusively the free base nitrates the rate coefficient (k2 fb) would equal k2 obs KJhx (where Ka is the ionization constant of the base, and hx the acidity function that it follows). Thus, if k2 fb> k2 enc free base nitration is precluded, but if... 

Noyes [269, 270] and, more recently, Northrup and Hynes [103] have endeavoured to incorporate some aspects of the caging process into the Smoluchowski random flight or diffusion equation approach. Both authors develop essentially phenomenological analyses, which introduce further parameters into an expression for escape probabilities for reaction, that are of imprecisely known magnitude and are probably not discrete values but distributed about some mean. Since these theories expose further aspects of diffusion-controlled processes over short distances near encounter, they will be discussed briefly (see also Chap. 8, Sect. 2.6). 

It is interesting to note that eqn. (190) is reminiscent of the steady-state Collins and Kimball rate coefficient [4] [eqn. (27)] with kact replaced by kacig R) and 4ttRD by eqn. (189). Equation (190) for the rate coefficient is significantly less than the Smoluchowski rate coefficient on two counts hydrodynamics repulsion and rate of encounter pair reaction. Had experimental studies shown that a measured rate coefficient was within a factor of two of the Smoluchowski rate coefficient, it would be tempting to invoke partial diffusion control of the reaction rate. The reduction of rate due to hydrodynamic repulsion should be included first and then the effect of moderately slow reaction rates between encounter pairs. 

The upper boundary of the reaction rate is reached when every collision between substrate and enzyme molecules leads to reaction and thus to product. In this case, the Boltzmann factor, exp(-EJRT), is equal to lin the transition-state theory equations and the reaction is diffusion-limited or diffusion-controlled (owing to the difference in mass, the reaction is controlled only by the rate of diffusion of the substrate molecule). The reaction rate under diffusion control is limited by the number of collisions, the frequency Z of which can be calculated according to the Smoluchowski equation [Smoluchowski, 1915 Eq. (2.9)]. 

The self-reaction of the hydrogen radical, H H - H2, is supposed to be truly diffusion-controlled. The accepted reaction radius of 0.19 nm (Table 15.1) is, by a factor of 3.5, greater than the hydrodynamic radius /"h obtained from eqn (15.3) for T>h(25) = 7x 10 m s The fast diffusion of H and the long time of spin relaxation, 1.3 x 10 s, make spin relaxation before diffusing out of the encounter volume rather improbable. Figure 15.12 shows that the kinetic data are well reproduced by the Smoluchowski equation assuming the temperature dependence for Dh from eqn (15.5) and the spin factor jSspi = 0.25. 

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