Patricia R. P. Barreto

A quantum chemical study of H2S2: Intramolecular torsional mode and intermolecular interactions with rare gases

The structural and energetic properties of the H(2)S(2) molecule have been studied using density functional theory, second-order Moller-Plesset method, and coupled cluster theory with several basis sets. In order to extend previous work on intra- and intermolecular dynamics of the chirality changing modes for H(2)O(2) and its derivatives, our focus has been on the torsion around the S-S bond, along with an extensive characterization of the intermolecular potentials of H(2)S(2) with the rare gases (He, Ne, Ar, and Kr). Use is made of previously defined coordinates and expansion formulas for the potentials which allow for a faithful representation of geometrical and symmetry properties of these systems that involve the interaction of an atom with a floppy molecule. The potential energy surfaces obtained in this work are useful for classical and quantum mechanical simulations of molecular collisions responsible for chirality changing processes of possible interest in the modeling of prebiotic phenomena.

Intermolecular interactions of H2S with rare gases from molecular beam scattering in the glory regime and from ab initio calculations

Integral cross sections for collisions of rotationally hot H2S molecules with rare gas atoms (Ne, Ar, and Kr) have been measured, in the collision energy range of 10-60 kJ mol(-1), using a molecular beam apparatus operating under high resolution both in angle and in velocity. A well resolved glory pattern has been measured which permitted the accurate characterization of the intermolecular potentials both at long range (in the attractive region) and at intermediate distances (in the well region). Considering the conditions used in the experiments, the obtained potentials must be considered very close to the spherical averages of the full intermolecular potential energy surfaces. Extensive ab initio calculations have also been carried out in parallel in order to characterize energy minima in the potential energy surfaces and energy barriers associated to the motion of the rare gas atoms around H2S. An assessment of the relative role of the various interaction components has been also attempted: the combined analysis of experimental and theoretical results suggests that H2S-rare gas aggregates are mainly bound by nearly isotropic noncovalent interactions of the van der Waals type.

Potential Energy Surface for the H2O−H2 System†

In the present paper, we introduce a representation of the potential energy surface for the H(2)O...H(2) system based on orthogonal vectors, assuming that the two molecules are rigid. We represent the interaction potential by an expansion in real hyperspherical harmonics depending on the distance between the centers of mass of the two molecules and on four angles, which account for two contributions: an external one depending on the three angle variables which define the mutual orientation of the two molecules and an internal one expressed by the angle which describes the position of the oxygen atom in H(2)O with respect to the H(2)O...H(2) system. The surface was generated in the framework of the supermolecular approach, using the counterpoise-corrected interaction energies at the MP2/aug-cc-pVQZ level. Comparisons with other recent work are presented and features of the representation discussed.

Interactions of Hydrogen Molecules with Halogen-Containing Diatomics from Ab Initio Calculations: Spherical-Harmonics Representation and Characterization of the Intermolecular Potentials

For the prototypical diatomic-molecule-diatomic-molecule interactions H2-HX and H2-X2, where X = F, Cl, Br, quantum-chemical ab initio calculations are carried out on grids of the configuration space, which permit a spherical-harmonics representation of the potential energy surfaces (PESs). Dimer geometries are considered for sets of representative leading configurations, and the PESs are analyzed in terms of isotropic and anisotropic contributions. The leading configurations are individuated by selecting a minimal set of mutual orientations of molecules needed to build the spherical-harmonic expansion on geometrical and symmetry grounds. The terms of the PESs corresponding to repulsive and bonding dimer geometries and the averaged isotropic term, for each pair of interacting molecules, are compared with representations in terms of a potential function proposed by Pirani et al. (see Chem. Phys. Lett. 2004, 394, 37-44 and references therein). Connections of the involved parameters with molecular properties provide insight into the nature of the interactions.

APUAMA: a software tool for reaction rate calculations

APUAMA is a free software designed to determine the reaction rate and thermodynamic properties of chemical species of a reagent system. With data from electronic structure calculations, the APUAMA determine the rate constant with tunneling correction, such as Wigner, Eckart and small curvature, and also, include the rovibrational level of diatomic molecules. The results are presented in the form of Arrhenius-Kooij form, for the reaction rate, and the thermodynamic properties are written down in the polynomial form. The word APUAMA means “fast” in Tupi-Guarani Brazilian language, then the code calculates the reaction rate on a simple and intuitive graphic interface, the form fast and practical. As program output, there are several ASCII files with tabulated information for rate constant, rovibrational levels, energy barriers and enthalpy of reaction, Arrhenius-Kooij coefficient, and also, the option to the User save all graphics in BMP format.

A Computational Investigation of the Multiple Channels of the NF2 + F Reaction †

We have theoretically studied the NF(3) = NF(2) + F, NF(2) + F = NF + F(2), and NF(2) + F = NF(2) + F reactive processes. More precisely, we have evaluated the thermal rate constants (TRC), with the Wigner and Eckart tunneling corrections, minimum energy path, and the intrinsic reaction coordinates of these systems. The NF(3) = NF(2) + F conventional and Wigner TRCs agree very well with experimental data available in the literature for a wide range of temperatures. This study gives a first step to understand and determine the correct decomposition path of nitrogen trifluoride (NF(3)).

Spherical and hyperspherical harmonics representation of van der Waals aggregates

The representation of the potential energy surfaces of atom molecule or molecular dimers interactions should account faithfully for the symmetry properties of the systems, preserving at the same time a compact analytical form. To this aim, the choice of a proper set of coordinates is a necessary precondition. Here we illustrate a description in terms of hyperspherical coordinates and the expansion of the intermolecular interaction energy in terms of hypersherical harmonics, as a general method for building potential energy surfaces suitable for molecular dynamics simulations of van der Waals aggregates. Examples for the prototypical case diatomic molecule diatomic molecule interactions are shown.

Potential Energy Surface for the Interaction of Helium with the Chiral Molecule Propylene Oxide

The discovery of propylene oxide in the interstellar medium has raised considerable interest about this molecule, which represents one of the simplest cases of chiral systems. In this paper, we present a quantum chemical study and a phenomenological approach, through the Pirani potential function, of the system He – propylene oxide in fourteen different configurations. Comparison of the optimized molecular structure at various level of theory, as well as a discussion on the two approaches is reported. The analytical form of the Pirani potential function permits future applications of classical simulations of molecular-beam collision experiments, especially to those related to chirality discrimination phenomena, in progress in our laboratory.

The spherical-harmonics representation for the interaction between diatomic molecules: The general case and applications to COCO and COHF

Abstract The spherical-harmonics expansion is a mathematically rigorous procedure and a powerful tool for the representation of potential energy surfaces of interacting molecular systems, determining their spectroscopic and dynamical properties, specifically in van der Waals clusters, with applications also to classical and quantum molecular dynamics simulations. The technique consists in the construction (by ab initio or semiempirical methods) of the expanded potential interaction up to terms that provide the generation of a number of leading configurations sufficient to account for faithful geometrical representations. This paper reports the full general description of the method of the spherical-harmonics expansion as applied to diatomic-molecule – diatomic-molecule systems of increasing complexity: the presentation of the mathematical background is given for providing both the application to the prototypical cases considered previously (O2 O2, N2 N2, and N2 O2 systems) and the generalization to: (i) the CO CO system, where a characteristic feature is the lower symmetry order with respect to the cases studied before, requiring a larger number of expansion terms necessary to adequately represent the potential energy surface; and (ii) the CO HF system, which exhibits the lowest order of symmetry among this class of aggregates and therefore the highest number of leading configurations.

Theoretical study of the H + HCN → H + HNC process

AbstractWe present a theoretical study on the detailed mechanism and kinetics of the H+HCN →H+HNC process. The potential energy surface was calculated at the complete basis set quantum chemical method, CBS-QB3. The vibrational frequencies and geometries for four isomers (H2CN, cis-HCNH, trans-HCNH, CNH2), and seven saddle points (TSn where n = 1 − 7) are very important and must be considered during the process of formation of the HNC in the reaction were calculated at the B3LYP/6-311G(2d,d,p) level, within CBS-QB3 method. Three different pathways (PW1, PW2, and PW3) were analyzed and the results from the potential energy surface calculations were used to solve the master equation. The results were employed to calculate the thermal rate constant and pathways branching ratio of the title reaction over the temperature range of 300 up to 3000 K. The rate constants for reaction H + HCN → H + HNC were fitted by the modified Arrhenius expressions. Our calculations indicate that the formation of the HNC preferentially occurs via formation of cis–HCNH, the fitted expression is kPW2(T) = 9.98 × 10−22T2.41 exp(−7.62 kcal.mol−1/RT) while the predicted overall rate constant kOverall(T) = 9.45 × 10−21T2.15 exp(−8.56 kcal.mol−1/RT) in cm3 molecule−1s−1. Graphical Abstract(a) Potential energy surface, (b) thermal rate constants as a function of temperature and (c) the branching ratios (%) of PW1, PW2, PW3 pathways involved in rm H + HCN → H + HNC process.