Systematic Characterization of Gas Phase Binary Pre-Nucleation Complexes Containing H2SO4 + X, [ X = NH3, (CH3)NH2, (CH3)2NH, (CH3)3N, H2O, (CH3)OH, (CH3)2O, HF, CH3F, PH3, (CH3)PH2, (CH3)2PH, (CH3)3P, H2S, (CH3)SH, (CH3)2S, HCl, (CH3)Cl)]. A Computational Study.

A systematic characterization of gas phase binary prenucleation complexes between H2SO4 (SA) and other molecules present in the atmosphere (NH3, (CH3)NH2, (CH3)2NH, (CH3)3N, H2O, (CH3)OH, (CH3)2O, HF, CH3 F, PH3, (CH3)PH2, (CH3)2PH, (CH3)3P, H2S, (CH3)SH, (CH3)2S, HCl, (CH3)Cl) has been carried out using the ωB97X-D/6-311++(2d,2p) method at the DFT level of theory. A relationship between the energy gap of the SA's LUMO and the partner molecule's HOMO, and the increasing number of methyl groups -CH3 in the SA's partner molecule is provided. The binding energies of the bimolecular complexes are found to be related to the electron density in the hydrogen bond critical point, the HOMO-LUMO energy gap, the nature of the hydrogen acceptor atom, and the frequencies shift of acid OH bonds. The results show how the frontier orbital compatibility determines the binding energy and that the properties of SA's OH bond which remains free of interactions are affected by the bimolecular adduct formation.

Comparative kinetics of the 3-buten-1-ol and 1-butene reactions with OH radicals: a density functional theory/RRKM investigation.

The compared kinetics of the reactions of unsaturated alcohols and alkenes with OH radicals is a topic of great interest from both the theoretical chemistry and the atmospheric chemistry points of view. The enhanced reactivity of an unsaturated alcohol, with respect to its alkene analogue, toward OH radicals has been previously demonstrated, at 298 K, by experimental and theoretical research. In this work, a new comparative investigation of such reactions is performed for 3-buten-1-ol and 1-butene. The model assumes that the overall kinetics is governed by the first OH addition steps of the mechanism. Calculations have been performed at the DFT level, employing the BHandHLYP functional and the cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets, and the rate coefficients have been determined on the basis of the microcanonical variational transition state theory. The rate coefficients obtained for the OH reactions with 3-buten-1-ol (kOH(31BO)) and 1-butene (kOH(1B)) at 298.15 K are lower than the experimental rate coefficient available in the literature, showing deviations of 18% and 25%, respectively. Negative temperature dependence is verified for these rate coefficients. The kOH(31BO)/kOH(1B) ratios have also been investigated as a function of the temperature, suggesting that at room temperature the unsaturated alcohol reacts with the OH radicals faster than 1-butene, by a factor of 1.2, but at higher temperatures (400-500 K), the alkene should react faster, and that the stabilization of prebarrier complexes and saddle points due to hydrogen bonds is no longer an important factor to govern the reactivity of the unsaturated alcohol toward OH radicals, with respect to the alkene analogue.

OH-initiated photooxidations of 1-pentene and 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol: mechanism and yields of the primary carbonyl products.

The products of the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with 1-pentene and 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol (221MPO) at T=298±2 K and atmospheric pressure were investigated by using a 4500 L atmospheric simulation chamber that was built especially for this work. The molar yield of butyraldehyde was 0.74±0.12 mol for the reaction of 1-pentene. This work provides the first product molar yield determination of formaldehyde (0.82±0.12 mol), 1-hydroxypropan-2-one (0.84±0.13 mol), and methacrolein (0.078±0.012 mol) from the reaction of 221MPO with OH radicals. The mechanism of this reaction is discussed in relation to the experimental results. Additionally, taking into consideration the complex mechanism, the rate coefficients of the reactions of OH with formaldehyde, 1-hydroxypropan-2-one, and methacrolein were derived at atmospheric pressure and T=298±2 K.; the obtained values were (8.9±1.6)×10(-12) , (2.4±1.4)×10(-12) , and (22.9±2.3)×10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) , respectively.

Kinetic study of OH radical reactions with CF3CCl=CCl2, CF3CCl=CClCF3 and CF3CF=CFCF3.

The relative rate technique has been used to determine the rate constants of the reactions of OH radicals with CF(3)CCl=CCl(2) (k(1)), CF(3)CCl=CClCF(3) (k(2)) and CF(3)CF=CFCF(3) (k(3)). Experiments were carried out at (298±2) K and atmospheric pressure using ultrapure nitrogen as gas bath. The decay rates of the organic species were measured relative to those of ethane, methanol, acetone, chloroethane and 2-butanone. The following rate constants were derived in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1): k(1)= (10±1)×10(-13), k(2)=(2.1±0.2)×10(-13) and k(3)=(3.7±0.2)×10(-13). This is the first experimental determination of k(1) and k(2). The rate constants obtained are compared with previous literature data to establish reactivity trends and are used to estimate the atmospheric lifetimes of the studied perhaloalkenes. From the calculated lifetimes, using an average global concentration of hydroxyl radicals, the atmospheric loss of these compounds by the OH-initiated oxidation was determined. Also, estimations have been made of the ozone depletion potential (ODP), the radiative forcing efficiency (RE), the halocarbon global warming potential (HGWP) and the global warming potential (GWP) of the perhaloalkenes. The approximate nature of these values is stressed considering that these are short-lived compounds for which these atmospheric parameters may vary according to latitude and season.

Reaction rate coefficients of OH radicals and Cl atoms with ethyl propanoate, n-propyl propanoate, methyl 2-methylpropanoate, and ethyl n-butanoate.

Kinetics of the reactions of OH radicals and Cl atoms with four saturated esters have been investigated. Rate coefficients for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with ethyl propanoate (k(1)), n-propyl propanoate (k(2)), methyl 2-methylpropanoate (k(3)), and ethyl n-butanoate (k(4)) were measured using a conventional relative rate method and the pulsed laser photolysis-laser induced fluorescence technique. At (296 +/- 2) K, the rate coefficients obtained by the two methods were in good agreement. Significant curvatures in the Arrhenius plots have been observed in the temperature range 243-372 K for k(1), k(3), and k(4). The rate coefficients for the reactions of the four esters with Cl atoms were determined using the relative rate method at (296 +/- 2) K and atmospheric pressure. The values obtained are presented, compared with the literature values when they exist, and discussed. Reactivity trends and atmospheric implications for these esters are also presented.

Rate coefficients for the reaction of OH with a series of unsaturated alcohols between 263 and 371 K.

Rate coefficients for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with four unsaturated alcohols, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol (k1), 2-buten-1-ol (k2), 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol (k3) and 3-buten-1-ol (k4), were measured using two different techniques, a conventional relative rate method and the pulsed laser photolysis-laser induced fluorescence technique. The Arrhenius rate coefficients (in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)) over the temperature range 263-371 K were determined from the kinetic data obtained as k1 = (5.5 +/- 1.0) x 10(-12) exp [(836 +/- 54)/T]; k2 = (6.9 +/- 0.9) x 10(-12) exp [(744 +/- 40)/T]; k3 = (10 +/- 1) x 10(-12) exp [(652 +/- 27)/T]; and k4 = (4.0 +/- 0.4) x 10(-12) exp [(783 +/- 32)/T]. At 298 K, the rate coefficients obtained by the two methods for each of the alcohols studied were in good agreement. The results are presented and compared with those obtained previously for the same and related reactions of OH radicals. Reactivity factors for substituent groups containing the hydroxyl group are determined. The atmospheric implications for the studied alcohols are considered briefly.

Relationship between interannual variation of amino acid profile and pollen content in honey from a small Argentinian region.

With the objective of evaluating the utility of the amino acid profile in the characterization of honey samples, 39 honey samples of two different harvests from a particular production zone in Córdoba, Argentina, were analyzed. Multivariate statistical techniques, such as principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), were applied to verify the correlation among the amino acid profiles, pollen percentages, and different harvests. PCA, CA, and MCA demonstrate the presence of differences of amino acid profiles between samples of the two harvests, such differences being mainly due to differences in pollen availability. Variation of the flora surrounding the apiary due to agricultural practices makes the analysis of amino acid profile typical for those cases with stabilized flora.

Comparison of free amino acids profile in honey from three Argentinian regions.

The physical chemistry characteristics of honey are directly related to floral origin and, as a result, to the production region. There are some available methods that can determine the botanical or geographical origin of honey such as the free amino acids profile analysis. This paper reports data on the free amino acid composition, determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography UV detection on 56 honey samples from three different Argentine regions, with characteristic apiarian flora. To evaluate if the quantified amino acid could be used to verify the geographical or botanical origin of honey, statistical analyses were performed. The cluster analysis showed that samples were grouped in clusters related to sampling regions and more strictly to apiarian flora around apiaries. Each cluster appears associated, in accordance with the principal component analysis, to high or low concentrations of different amino acids.