Investigation of the Potential Energy Surface for the First Step in the Alkaline Hydrolysis of Methyl Acetate

The potential energy surface for the first step of the alkaline hydrolysis of methyl acetate was explored by a variety of methods. The conformational search routine within SPARTAN was used to determine the lowest energy am1 and pm3 structures for the anionic tetrahedral intermediate. Ab initio single point and geometry optimization calculations were performed to determine the lowest energy conformer, and the linear synchronous transition (lst) method was used to provide an initial structure for transition state optimization. Transition states were obtained at the am1, pm3, 3-21G, and 3-21 + G levels of theory. These transition states were compared with the anionic tetrahedral intermediates to examine the assumption that the intermediate is a good model for the transition state. In addition, the Cramer/Truhlar sm3 solvation model was used at the semiempirical level to compare gas phase and aqueous alkaline hydrolysis of methyl acetate.

AM1 and PM3 Calculations of the Potential Energy Surfaces for CH2OH Reactions with NO and NO2

The AM1 and PM3 molecular orbital methods have been utilized to investigate the reactions of CH20H with NO and NO2 PM3 and AM1 calculated heats of formation differ from experimental values by 8.6 and 18.8 kcal mol-', respectively. The dominant reaction of CH20H with NO is predicted to produce the adduct HOCH2N0, supporting the hypothesis of Pagsberg, Munk, Anastasi, and Simpson. Calculated activation energies for the NO2 system predict the formation of the adducts HOCH2N02 and HOCH20N0. In addition, the PM3 calculations predict that the abstraction reaction producing CH20 and HN02 is more likely than one producing CH20 and HONO from reactions of CH20H with NO2.

Exploration of the Potential Energy Surfaces, Prediction of Atmospheric Concentrations, and Prediction of Vibrational Spectra for the HO2···(H2O)n (n = 1−2) Hydrogen Bonded Complexes

The hydroperoxy radical (HO2) plays a critical role in Earth's atmospheric chemistry as a component of many important reactions. The self-reaction of hydroperoxy radicals in the gas phase is strongly affected by the presence of water vapor. In this work, we explore the potential energy surfaces of hydroperoxy radicals hydrogen bonded to one or two water molecules, and predict atmospheric concentrations and vibrational spectra of these complexes. We predict that when the HO2 concentration is on the order of 108molecules·cm-3 at 298 K, that the number of HO2···H2O complexes is on the order of 107molecules·cm-3 and the number of HO2···(H2O)2 complexes is on the order of 106molecules·cm-3. Using the computed abundance of HO2···H2O, we predict that, at 298 K, the bimolecular rate constant for HO2···H2O + HO2 is about 10 times that for HO2 + HO2.

Global Search for Minimum Energy (H2O)n Clusters, n = 3−5

The Gaussian-3 (G3) model chemistry method has been used to calculate the relative ΔG° values for all possible conformers of neutral clusters of water, (H2O)n, where n = 3−5. A complete 12-fold conformational search around each hydrogen bond produced 144, 1728, and 20 736 initial starting structures of the water trimer, tetramer, and pentamer. These structures were optimized with PM3, followed by HF/6-31G* optimization, and then with the G3 model chemistry. Only two trimers are present on the G3 potential energy hypersurface. We identified 5 tetramers and 10 pentamers on the potential energy and free-energy hypersurfaces at 298 K. None of these 17 structures were linear; all linear starting models folded into cyclic or three-dimensional structures. The cyclic pentamer is the most stable isomer at 298 K. On the basis of this and previous studies, we expect the cyclic tetramers and pentamers to be the most significant cyclic water clusters in the atmosphere.

The Role of Anharmonicity in Hydrogen-Bonded Systems: The Case of Water Clusters

The nature of vibrational anharmonicity has been examined for the case of small water clusters using second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) applied on second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) potential energy surfaces. Using a training set of 16 water clusters (H2O)n=2–6,8,9 with a total of 723 vibrational modes, we determined scaling factors that map the harmonic frequencies onto anharmonic ones. The intermolecular modes were found to be substantially more anharmonic than intramolecular bending and stretching modes. Due to the varying levels of anharmonicity of the intermolecular and intramolecular modes, different frequency scaling factors for each region were necessary to achieve the highest accuracy. Furthermore, new scaling factors for zero-point vibrational energies (ZPVE) and vibrational corrections to the enthalpy (ΔHvib) and the entropy (Svib) have been determined. All the scaling factors reported in this study are different from previous works in that they are intended for hydrogen-bonded systems, while others were built using experimental frequencies of covalently bonded systems. An application of our scaling factors to the vibrational frequencies of water dimer and thermodynamic functions of 11 larger water clusters highlights the importance of anharmonic effects in hydrogen-bonded systems.

Comparison of Experimental and Theoretical Structures of a Transition State Analogue Used for the Induction of Anti-Cocaine Catalytic Antibodies

Comparison of the crystal structure of a transition state analogue that was used to raise catalytic antibodies for the benzoyl ester hydrolysis of cocaine with structures calculated by ab initio, semiempirical, and solvation semiempirical methods reveals that modeling of solvation is crucial for replicating the crystal structure geometry. Both SM3 and SM2 calculations, starting from the crystal structure TSA I, converged on structures similar to the crystal structure. The 3-21G(*)/HF, 6-31G*/HF, PM3, and AM1 calculations converged on structures similar to each other, but these gas-phase structures were significantly extended relative to the condensed phase structures. Two transition states for the hydrolysis of the benzoyl ester of cocaine were located with the SM3 method. The gas phase calculations failed to locate reasonable transition state structures for this reaction. These results imply that accurate modeling of the potential energy surfaces for the hydrolysis of cocaine requires solvation methods.

Doubly-charged ethane ions: Solution to the dilemma of stability predicted by theory and instability observed in experiment

Potential energy curves have been computed for [C2H6]2+ ions and the results used to interpret the conspicuous absence of these ions in 2E mass spectra and in charge-stripping experiments. The energies and structures of geometry-optimized ground-state singlet and excited-state triplet [C2H6]2+ ions have been determined along with energies for different decomposition barriers and dissociation asymptotes. Although singlet and triplet [C2H6]2+ ions can exist as stable entities, they possess low energy barriers to decomposition. Vertical Franck-Condon transitions, involving electron impact ionization of ethane as well as charge-stripping collisions of [C2H6]+ ions, produce [C2H6]2+ ions which promptly dissociate since they are formed with energies in excess of various decomposition barriers. Appearance energies computed for doubly-charged ethane fragment ions are in accordance with experimental values.

Pople's Gaussian-3 model chemistry applied to an investigation of (H2O)8 water clusters

The Gaussian-3 method developed by Pople and coworkers has been used to calculate the free energy of neutral octamer clusters of water, (H2O)8. The most energetically stable structures are in excellent agreement with those determined from experiment and those predicted from previous high-level calculations. Cubic structures are favored over noncubic structures over all temperature ranges studied. The D2d cubic structure is the lowest free energy structure and dominates the potential energy and free energy hypersurfaces from 0 K to 298 K.

The Role of Anharmonicity in Hydrogen-Bonded Systems: The Case of Water Clusters

The nature of vibrational anharmonicity has been examined for the case of small water clusters using second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) applied on second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) potential energy surfaces. Using a training set of 16 water clusters (H2O)n=2–6,8,9 with a total of 723 vibrational modes, we determined scaling factors that map the harmonic frequencies onto anharmonic ones. The intermolecular modes were found to be substantially more anharmonic than intramolecular bending and stretching modes. Due to the varying levels of anharmonicity of the intermolecular and intramolecular modes, different frequency scaling factors for each region were necessary to achieve the highest accuracy. Furthermore, new scaling factors for zero-point vibrational energies (ZPVE) and vibrational corrections to the enthalpy (ΔHvib) and the entropy (Svib) have been determined. All the scaling factors reported in this study are different from previous works in that they are intended for hydrogen-bonded systems, while others were built using experimental frequencies of covalently bonded systems. An application of our scaling factors to the vibrational frequencies of water dimer and thermodynamic functions of 11 larger water clusters highlights the importance of anharmonic effects in hydrogen-bonded systems.

Thermodynamics of the Hydroxyl Radical Addition to Isoprene

Oxidation of isoprene by the hydroxyl radical leads to tropospheric ozone formation. Consequently, a more complete understanding of this reaction could lead to better models of regional air quality, a better understanding of aerosol formation, and a better understanding of reaction kinetics and dynamics. The most common first step in the oxidation of isoprene is the formation of an adduct, with the hydroxyl radical adding to one of four unsaturated carbon atoms in isoprene. In this paper, we discuss how the initial conformations of isoprene, s-trans and s-gauche, influences the pathways to adduct formation. We explore the formation of pre-reactive complexes at low and high temperatures, which are often invoked to explain the negative temperature dependence of this reaction’s kinetics. We show that at higher temperatures the free energy surface indicates that a pre-reactive complex is unlikely, while at low temperatures the complex exists on two reaction pathways. The theoretical results show that at low temperatures all eight pathways possess negative reaction barriers, and reaction energies that range from −36.7 to −23.0 kcal·mol−1. At temperatures in the lower atmosphere, all eight pathways possess positive reaction barriers that range from 3.8 to 6.0 kcal·mol−1 and reaction energies that range from −28.8 to −14.4 kcal·mol−1.

Structures, energetics and fragmentation pathways of CnH22+ carbodications

Potential energy curves have been calculated for CnH22+ (n = 2−9) ions and results have been compared with data on unimolecular charge-separation reactions obtained by Rabrenović and Beynon. Geometry-optimized, minimum energy, linear CnH22+ structures have been computed for ground and low-lying excited states. These carbodications exist in stable configurations with well depths greater than 3 eV. Decomposition pathways into singly charged fragment ions lead to products with computed kinetic energies in excess of 1 eV. A high degree of correlation exists between experimental information and results computed for linear CnH22+ structures having hydrogen atoms on each end. The exception involves C4H22+reactions where a low-lying doubly charged isomer must be invoked to rationalize the experimental data.

Use of Land Surface Temperature to Estimate Surface Energy Fluxes: Contributions of Wilfried Brutsaert and Collaborators

Land surface temperature (LST) plays a key role in governing the land surface energy budget, and measurements or estimates of LST are an integral part of many land surface models and methods to estimate land surface sensible heat (H) and latent heat fluxes. In particular, the LST anchors the potential temperature profile in Monin-Obukhov similarity theory, from which H can be derived. Brutsaert has made important contributions to our understanding the nature of surface temperature measurements as well as the practical but theoretically sound use of LST in this framework. His work has coincided with the wide-spread availability of remotely sensed LST measurements. Use of remotely sensed LST estimates inevitably involves complicating factors, such as: varying spatial and temporal scales in measurements, theory, and models; spatial variability of LST and H; the relationship between measurements of LST and the temperature felt by the atmosphere; and the need to correct satellite-based radiometric LST measurements for the radiative effects of the atmosphere. This paper reviews the progress made in research in these areas by tracing and commenting on Brutsaert's contributions.