Thermochemistry of HO2 + HO2 → H2O4: Does HO2 Dimerization Affect Laboratory Studies?

Self-reaction is an important sink for the hydroperoxy radical (HO2) in the atmosphere. It has been suggested (Denis, P. A.; Ornellas, F. R. J. Phys. Chem. A, 2009, 113 (2), 499-506) that the minor product hydrogen tetroxide (HO4H) may act as a reservoir of HO2. Here, we compute the thermochemistry of HO2 self-reactions to determine if either HO4H or the cyclic hydrogen-bound dimer (HO2)2 can act as reservoirs. We computed electronic energies using coupled-cluster calculations in the complete basis set limit, CCSD(T)/CBS[45]//CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ. Our model chemistry includes corrections for vibrational anharmonicity in the zero-point energy and vibrational partition functions, core-valence correlation, scalar relativistic effects, diagonal Born-Oppenheimer, spin-orbit splitting, and higher-order corrections. We compute the Gibbs energy of dimerization to be (-20.1 ± 1.6) kJ/mol at 298.15 K (2σ uncertainty), and (-32.3 ± 1.5) kJ/mol at 220 K. For atmospherically relevant [HO2] = 10(8) molecules per cm(3), our thermochemistry indicates that dimerization will be negligible, and thus H2O4 species are atmospherically unimportant. Under conditions used in laboratory experiments ([HO2] > 10(12) molecules per cm(3), 220 K), H2O4 formation may be significant. We compute two absorption spectra that could be used for laboratory detection of HO4H: the OH stretch overtone (near-IR) and electronic (UV) spectra.

High-resolution, vacuum-ultraviolet absorption spectrum of boron trifluoride.

In the course of investigations of thermal neutron detection based on mixtures of (10)BF3 with other gases, knowledge was required of the photoabsorption cross sections of (10)BF3 for wavelengths between 135 and 205 nm. Large discrepancies in the values reported in existing literature led to the absolute measurements reported in this communication. The measurements were made at the SURF III Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The measured absorption cross sections vary from 10(-20) cm(2) at 135 nm to less than 10(-21) cm(2) in the region from 165 to 205 nm. Three previously unreported absorption features with resolvable structure were found in the regions 135-145 nm, 150-165 nm, and 190-205 nm. Quantum mechanical calculations, using the TD-B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ variant of time-dependent density functional theory implemented in Gaussian 09, suggest that the observed absorption features arise from symmetry-changing adiabatic transitions.

Cavity ringdown spectroscopy of the hydroxy-methyl-peroxy radical.

We report vibrational and electronic spectra of the hydroxy-methyl-peroxy radical (HOCH2OO(•) or HMP), which was formed as the primary product of the reaction of the hydroperoxy radical, HO2(•), and formaldehyde, HCHO. The ν1 vibrational (OH stretch) spectrum and the à ← X̃ electronic spectrum of HMP were detected by infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy (IR-CRDS), and assignments were verified with density functional calculations. The HMP radical was generated in reactions of HCHO with HO2(•). Free radical reactions were initiated by pulsed laser photolysis (PLP) of Cl2 in the presence of HCHO and O2 in a flow reactor at 300-330 Torr and 295 K. IR-CRDS spectra were measured in mid-IR and near-IR regions over the ranges 3525-3700 cm(-1) (ν1) and 7250-7800 cm(-1) (à ← X̃) respectively, at a delay time 100 µs after photolysis. The ν1 spectrum had an origin at 3622 cm(-1) and exhibited partially resolved P- and R-branch contours and a small Q-branch. At these short delay times, spectral interference from HOOH and HCOOH was minimal and could be subtracted. From B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) calculations, we found that the anharmonic vibrational frequency and band contour predicted for the lowest energy conformer, HMP-A, were in good agreement with the observed spectrum. In the near-IR, we observed four well spaced vibronic bands, each with partially resolved rotational contours. We assigned the apparent origin of the à ← X̃ electronic spectrum of HMP at 7389 cm(-1) and two bands to the blue to a progression in ν15', the lowest torsional mode of the à state (ν15' = 171 cm(-1)). The band furthest to the red was assigned as a hot band in ν15″, leading to a ground state torsional frequency of (ν15″ = 122 cm(-1)). We simulated the spectrum using second order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2) with B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) calculations at the minimum energy geometries of the HMP-A conformer on the X̃ and à states. The predictions of the electronic origin frequency, torsional frequencies, anharmonicities, and rotational band contours matched the observed spectrum. We investigated the torsional modes more explicitly by computing potential energy surfaces of HMP as a function of the two dihedral angles τHOCO and τOOCO. Wave functions and energy levels were calculated on the basis of this potential surface; these results were used to calculate the Franck-Condon factors, which reproduced the vibronic band intensities in the observed electronic spectrum. The transitions that we observed all involved states with wave functions localized on the minimum energy conformer, HMP-A. Our calculations indicated that the observed near-IR spectrum was that of the lowest energy X̃ state conformer HMP-A, but that this conformer is not the lowest energy conformer in the à state, which remains unobserved. We estimated that the energy of this lowest conformer (HMP-B) of the à state is E0 (Ã, HMP-B) ≈ 7200 cm(-1), on the basis of the energy difference E0(HMP-B) - E0(HMP-A) on the à state computed at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level.

Kinetics of n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy isomerization and detection of primary products by infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy.

The primary products of n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy isomerization in the presence and absence of O(2) have been detected using pulsed laser photolysis-cavity ringdown spectroscopy (PLP-CRDS). Alkoxy radicals n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy were generated by photolysis of alkyl nitrite precursors (n-butyl nitrite or 2-pentyl nitrite, respectively), and the isomerization products with and without O(2) were detected by infrared cavity ringdown spectroscopy 20 µs after the photolysis. We report the mid-IR OH stretch (ν(1)) absorption spectra for δ-HO-1-C(4)H(8)•, δ-HO-1-C(4)H(8)OO•, δ-HO-1-C(5)H(10)•, and δ-HO-1-C(5)H(10)OO•. The observed ν(1) bands are similar in position and shape to the related alcohols (n-butanol and 2-pentanol), although the HOROO• absorption is slightly stronger than the HOR• absorption. We determined the rate of isomerization relative to reaction with O(2) for the n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy radicals by measuring the relative ν(1) absorbance of HOROO• as a function of [O(2)]. At 295 K and 670 Torr of N(2) or N(2)/O(2), we found rate constant ratios of k(isom)/k(O(2)) = 1.7 (±0.1) × 10(19) cm(-3) for n-butoxy and k(isom)/k(O(2)) = 3.4(±0.4) × 10(19) cm(-3) for 2-pentoxy (2σ uncertainty). Using currently known rate constants k(O(2)), we estimate isomerization rates of k(isom) = 2.4 (±1.2) × 10(5) s(-1) and k(isom) ≈ 3 × 10(5) s(-1) for n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy radicals, respectively, where the uncertainties are primarily due to uncertainties in k(O(2)). Because isomerization is predicted to be in the high pressure limit at 670 Torr, these relative rates are expected to be the same at atmospheric pressure. Our results include corrections for prompt isomerization of hot nascent alkoxy radicals as well as reaction with background NO and unimolecular alkoxy decomposition. We estimate prompt isomerization yields under our conditions of 4 ± 2% and 5 ± 2% for n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy formed from photolysis of the alkyl nitrites at 351 nm. Our measured relative rate values are in good agreement with and more precise than previous end-product analysis studies conducted on the n-butoxy and 2-pentoxy systems. We show that reactions typically neglected in the analysis of alkoxy relative kinetics (decomposition, recombination with NO, and prompt isomerization) may need to be included to obtain accurate values of k(isom)/k(O(2)).

Rate of gas phase association of hydroxyl radical and nitrogen dioxide.

The reaction of OH and NO(2) to form gaseous nitric acid (HONO(2)) is among the most influential in atmospheric chemistry. Despite its importance, the rate coefficient remains poorly determined under tropospheric conditions because of difficulties in making laboratory rate measurements in air at 760 torr and uncertainties about a secondary channel producing peroxynitrous acid (HOONO). We combined two sensitive laser spectroscopy techniques to measure the overall rate of both channels and the partitioning between them at 25°C and 760 torr. The result is a significantly more precise value of the rate constant for the HONO(2) formation channel, 9.2 (±0.4) × 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) (1 SD) at 760 torr of air, which lies toward the lower end of the previously established range. We demonstrate the impact of the revised value on photochemical model predictions of ozone concentrations in the Los Angeles airshed.

The role of torsion/torsion coupling in the vibrational spectrum of cis-cis HOONO.

A three-dimensional model of the vibrational dynamics of HOONO is investigated. This model focuses on the couplings between the OH stretch vibration and the two torsions. The model is based on electronic energies, calculated at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level of theory and basis and dipole moment functions calculated at the CCSD/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The resulting points were fit to explicit functional forms, and the energies, wave functions, and intensities were evaluated using an approach in which the OH stretching motion was adiabatically separated from the torsional modes. It is found that the HOON torsion is strongly coupled to both the OONO torsion and OH stretch. Despite this, many of the conclusions that were drawn from earlier two-dimensional treatments, which did not include the OONO torsion, hold up on a semiquantitative level. In addition, we use this model to investigate the assignment of recently reported matrix isolated spectra of HOONO and DOONO. Finally, by comparing the results of this three-dimensional calculation to two-dimensional calculations and to the results of second-order perturbation theory, we investigate the question of how one determines the size of the reduced-dimensional system that is needed to describe the vibrational spectrum of molecules, like HOONO, that contain several large amplitude motions.