Pablo Gamallo

Quasiclassical dynamics and kinetics of the N+NO→N2+O, NO+N atmospheric reactions

The kinetics and dynamics of the title reactions were studied using the quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) method and two ab initio analytical potential energy surfaces (PESs) developed by our group. In addition to the rate constant (T: 10-5000 K), we also considered a broad set of dynamic properties as a function of collision energy (up to 1.0 eV) and the rovibrational state of NO (v=0-2,j=1,8,12). The production of N(2)+O, reaction (1), dominates the reactivity of the N+NO system over the conditions studied, as expected from the large energy barriers associated to the NO+N exchange reaction, reaction (2). Moreover, the ground PES, which is barrierless for reaction (1), plays a dominant role. Most of the results were interpreted according to the properties of the PESs involved and the kinematics of the system. The QCT rate constants of reaction (1) are in agreement with the experimental data (T: 47-3500 K), including very recent low temperature measurements, and also with variational transition state kinetics and most of quantum dynamics calculations. In addition, the QCT average vibrational energy content of the N(2) product also agrees with the experimental and quantum data. The PESs used here could also be useful to determine equilibrium and nonequilibrium reaction rates at very high temperatures (e.g., 5000-15 000 K).

Ab initio derived analytical fits of the two lowest triplet potential energy surfaces and theoretical rate constants for the N(4S)+NO(x 2Π) system

This work presents two new analytical fits of the ground potential energy surface (PES) (3A″) and the first excited PES (3A′) involved in the title reaction, considering the N-abstraction (1) and the O-abstraction (2) reaction channels, and the reverse reaction (−1). The PESs are derived from ab initio electronic structure calculations by means of second-order perturbation theory on a complete active-space self-consistent-field wave function (CASPT2 method). Stationary points and extensive grids of ab initio points (about 5600 points for the 3A″ PES and 4900 points for the 3A′ PES) were fitted along with some diatomic spectroscopic data to better account for the experimental exoergicity. Thermal rate constants were calculated (200–5000 K) for all mentioned reaction processes by means of the variational transition-state theory with the inclusion of a semiclassical tunneling correction. Excellent agreement with the experimental data was observed for reaction (1) and its reverse, within all the temperature r...

Renner–Teller coupled-channel dynamics of the N(D2)+H2 reaction and the role of the NH2 Ã A21 electronic state

We present Renner-Teller (RT) and Born-Oppenheimer (BO) coupled-channel (CC) dynamics of the reaction (14)N((2)D)+(1)H(2)(X (1)Sigma(g) (+))-->NH(X (3)Sigma(-))+H((2)S), considering both NH(2) coupled electronic states, X (2)B(1) and A (2)A(1), and Coriolis interactions. We use the best available potential energy surfaces (PESs), and we obtain initial-state-resolved reaction probabilities, cross sections, and rate constants through the real wavepacket and flux methods, taking into account the nuclear-spin statistics for both electronic states. Contrasting RT-CC with more approximate results, we point out the role of RT and Coriolis couplings, and discuss the importance of the A (2)A(1) excited state on the initial-state-resolved dynamics and on the thermal kinetic rate. Confirming the previous results, RT couplings transfer partly the reactivity from X (2)B(1) to A (2)A(1), and CC calculations are necessary to obtain accurate high-energy cross sections. When H(2) is initially rotating, RT couplings enhance strongly the electronic-state-resolved A (2)A(1) reactivity. Considering the nuclear-spin statistics for both electronic states, we find out that the A (2)A(1) state plays a significant role in the rotationally resolved dynamics of N((2)D)+ortho-H(2). However, the BO-X (2)B(1) approximation gives a thermal rate that is slightly smaller than the one obtained by the RT-CC calculations. This implies that this usual approximation is acceptable to calculate unresolved kinetic data of the title reaction. Our calculated rate constant values within the 213-300 K temperature interval are in excellent agreement with the experimental ones.

Quantum real wave-packet dynamics of the N(S4)+NO(X̃Π2)→N2(X̃Σg+1)+O(P3) reaction on the ground and first excited triplet potential energy surfaces: Rate constants, cross sections, and product distributions

The reaction N+NO→N2+O was studied by means of the time-dependent real wave-packet (WP) method and the J-shifting approximation. We consider the ground 1A″3 and first excited 1A′3 triplet states, which correlate with both reactants and products, using analytical potential energy surfaces (PESs) recently developed in our group. This work extends our previous quantum dynamics study, and probabilities, cross sections, and rate constants were calculated and interpreted on the basis of the different shapes of the PESs (barrierless 1A″3 and with barrier 1A′3 surfaces, respectively). The WP rate constant (k1) shows a weak dependence on T(200–2500K), as the dominant contribution to reactivity is provided by the barrierless ground PES. There is a good agreement of WP k1 with the measurements and variational transition state theory (VTST) data, and also between the WP and VTST k1(1A″3) results. Nevertheless, there is a large discrepancy between the WP and VTST k1(1A′3) results. Product state distributions were also...

Ab initio study of the two lowest triplet potential energy surfaces involved in the N(4S)+NO (X 2Π) reaction

This work presents ab initio electronic structure calculations of the two possible N(4S)+NO(X 2Π ) abstraction reaction channels on the lowest 3A″ and 3A′ potential energy surfaces (PESs). Complete active space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) calculations, second-order perturbation calculations (CASPT2), and multireference configuration interaction calculations (MR-CI) based on CASSCF wave functions, along with some coupled cluster (CC) calculations were carried out by using the standard correlation-consistent (cc-pVnZ and aug-cc-pVnZ, n=D,T,Q,5) Dunning’s basis sets. It was shown that there was no energy barrier along the minimum energy path in the 3A″ PES for the N-abstraction reaction channel. However, an energy barrier (6.74 kcal/mol) was located in the 3A′ PES. This energy barrier was considerably smaller than the previously reported MR-CCI value (14.4 kcal/mol). It was established that the N and O 2s electron correlation, neglected in previous studies of these authors, was the main source of this ene...

Time dependent quantum dynamics study of the Ne + H2(+)(v0 = 0-4, j0 = 1) → NeH(+) + H proton transfer reaction, including the Coriolis coupling. A system with oscillatory cross sections.

The Ne + H(2)(+)(v(0) = 0-4, j(0) = 1) proton transfer reaction has been studied in a wide collision energy (E(col)) interval, using the time dependent real wave packet method and taking into account the Coriolis coupling (CC-RWP method) and employing a recent ab initio potential energy surface, widely extending the reaction conditions previously explored at the CC level. The reaction probability shows a strong oscillatory behavior vs E(col) and the presence of sharp resonances, arising from metastable NeH(2)(+) states. The behavior of the reaction cross section σ vs E(col) depends on the vibrational level and can in general be interpreted in terms of the late barrier character of the potential energy surface and the existence (or not) of threshold energy. The situation is particularly complex for v(0) = 2, as σ(v0=2, j0=1) presents significant oscillations with E(col) up to ≈0.33 eV, which probably reflect the resonances found in the reaction probability. Hence, it would be particularly interesting to investigate the Ne + H(2)(+)(v(0) = 2, j(0) = 1) reaction experimentally, as some resonances survive the partial wave summation. The state selected cross sections compare well with previous CC quantum and experimental results, and although the previous centrifugal sudden RWP cross sections are reasonable, the inclusion of the Coriolis coupling is important to achieve a quantitative description of this and similar systems.

Renner-Teller quantum dynamics of NH(a(1)Delta) + H reactions on the NH(2) A(2)A(1) and X(2)B(1) coupled surfaces.

Four reactions NH(a1Delta) + H′(2S) are investigated by the quantum mechanical real wavepacket method, taking into account nonadiabatic Renner-Teller (RT) and rovibronic Coriolis couplings between the involved states. We consider depletion (d) to N(2D) + H2(X1Sigmag+), exchange (e) to NH′(a1Delta) + H(2S), quenching (q) to NH(X3Sigma-) + H′(2S), and exchange-quenching (eq) to NH′(X3Sigma-) + H(2S). We extend our RT theory to a general AB + C collision using a geometry-dependent but very simple and empirical RT matrix element. Reaction probabilities, cross sections, and rate constants are presented, and RT results are compared with Born-Oppenheimer (BO), experimental, and semiclassical data. The nonadiabatic couplings open two new channels, (q) and (eq), and increase the (d) and (e) reactivity with respect to the BO one, when NH(a1Delta) is rotationally excited. In this case, the quantum cross sections are larger than the semiclassical ones at low collision energies. The calculated rate constants at 300 K are k(d) = 3.06, k(e) = 3.32, k(q) = 1.44, and k(eq) = 1.70 in 10(-11) cm3 s(-1) compared with the measured values k(d) = (3.2 =/- 1.7), k(q + eq) = (1.7 +/- 0.3), and k(total) = (4.8 +/- 1.7). The theoretical depletion rate is thus in good agreement with the experimental value, but the quenching and total rates are overestimated, because the present RT couplings are too large. This discrepancy is probably due to our simple and empirical RT matrix element.

Recombination and chemical energy accommodation coefficients from chemical dynamics simulations: O/O2 mixtures reacting over a β-cristobalite (001) surface

A microkinetic model is developed to study the reactivity of an O/O(2) gas mixture over a β-cristobalite (001) surface. The thermal rate constants for the relevant elementary processes are either inferred from quasiclassical trajectory calculations or using some statistical approaches, resting on a recently developed interpolated multidimensional potential energy surface based on density functional theory. The kinetic model predicts a large molecular coverage at temperatures lower than 1000 K, in contrary to a large atomic coverage at higher temperatures. The computed atomic oxygen recombination coefficient, mainly involving atomic adsorption and Eley-Rideal recombination, is small and increases with temperature in the 700-1700 K range (0.01 < γ(O) < 0.02) in good agreement with experiments. In the same temperature range, the estimated chemical energy accommodation coefficient, the main contribution to which is the atomic adsorption process is almost constant and differs from unity (0.75 < β(O) < 0.80).

Quantum wave packet dynamics of the 1 3A″ N(4S)+NO(X̃ 2Π)→N2(X̃ 1Σg+)+O(3P) reaction

We present the quantum dynamics of the title reaction using the Gray–Balint–Kurti wave-packet (WP) method, several NO vibro-rotational levels, product coordinates, and an asymptotic analysis. We calculate accurate reaction probabilities at J=0, estimate those at J>0 via a capture model, and discuss the reaction mechanism analyzing the WP time evolution. We also obtain cross sections and rate constants. The potential is barrier-less and thus both probabilities and cross sections do not have a collision-energy (Ecol) threshold. The probabilities present many sharp resonances, due to the Ecol redistribution on the NNO-internal and N2-product degrees of freedom. The reaction is stereo-specific and occurs via a bent abstraction mechanism. The cross sections decrease with Ecol, in agreement with the expected behavior for threshold-less reactions. The present values of the rate constant support previous and less accurate calculations, and are in excellent agreement with laboratory experimental data. This confirm...

Quantum Dynamics of the Reaction H(2S) + HeH+(X1Σ+) → H2+(X2Σg+) + He(1S) from Cold to Hyperthermal Energies: Time-Dependent Wavepacket Study and Comparison with Time-Independent Calculations

We present the adiabatic quantum dynamics of the proton-transfer reaction H((2)S) + HeH(+)(X(1)Σ(+)) → H2(+)(X(2)Σg(+)) + He((1)S) on the HeH2(+) X̃(2)Σ(+) RMRCI6 (M = 6) PES of C. N. Ramachandran et al. ( Chem. Phys. Lett. 2009, 469, 26). We consider the HeH(+) molecule in the ground vibrational–rotational state and obtain initial-state-resolved reaction probabilities and the ground-state cross section σ0 and rate constant k0 by propagating time-dependent, coupled-channel, real wavepackets (RWPs) and performing a flux analysis. Three different wavepackets are propagated to describe the wide range of energies explored, from cold (0.0001 meV) to hyperthermal (1000 meV) collision energies, and in a temperature range from 0.01 to 2000 K. We compare our time-dependent results with the time-independent ones by D. De Fazio and S. Bovino et al., where De Fazio carried out benchmark coupled-channel calculations whereas Bovino et al. employed the negative imaginary potential and the centrifugal-sudden approximations. The RWP cross section is in good agreement with that by De Fazio, except at the lowest collision energies below ∼0.01 meV, where the former is larger than the latter. However, neither the RWP and De Fazio results possess the huge resonance in probability and cross section at 0.01 meV, found by Bovino et al., who also obtained a too low σ0 at high energies. Therefore, the RWP and De Fazio rate constants compare quite well, whereas that by Bovino et al. is in general lower.