Reaction-Path Dynamics Calculations of the NH3 + O(3P) Hydrogen Abstraction Reaction

Progress and Prospective of Nitrogen-Based Alternative Fuels

Alternative fuels are essential to enable the transition to a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply. Synthetic fuels derived from renewable energies can act as energy storage media, thus mitigating the effects of fossil fuels on environment and health. Their economic viability, environmental impact, and compatibility with current infrastructure and technologies are fuel and power source specific. Nitrogen-based fuels pose one possible synthetic fuel pathway. In this review, we discuss the progress and current research on utilization of nitrogen-based fuels in power applications, covering the complete fuel cycle. We cover the production, distribution, and storage of nitrogen-based fuels. We assess much of the existing literature on the reactions involved in the ammonia to nitrogen atom pathway in nitrogen-based fuel combustion. Furthermore, we discuss nitrogen-based fuel applications ranging from combustion engines to gas turbines, as well as their exploitation by suggested end-uses. Thereby, we evaluate the potential opportunities and challenges of expanding the role of nitrogen-based molecules in the energy sector, outlining their use as energy carriers in relevant fields.

The hydrogen abstraction reaction O(3P) + CH4: a new analytical potential energy surface based on fit to ab initio calculations

Based exclusively on high-level ab initio calculations, a new full-dimensional analytical potential energy surface (PES-2014) for the gas-phase reaction of hydrogen abstraction from methane by an oxygen atom is developed. The ab initio information employed in the fit includes properties (equilibrium geometries, relative energies, and vibrational frequencies) of the reactants, products, saddle point, points on the reaction path, and points on the reaction swath, taking especial caution respecting the location and characterization of the intermediate complexes in the entrance and exit channels. By comparing with the reference results we show that the resulting PES-2014 reproduces reasonably well the whole set of ab initio data used in the fitting, obtained at the CCSD(T) = FULL/aug-cc-pVQZ//CCSD(T) = FC/cc-pVTZ single point level, which represents a severe test of the new surface. As a first application, on this analytical surface we perform an extensive dynamics study using quasi-classical trajectory calculations, comparing the results with recent experimental and theoretical data. The excitation function increases with energy (concave-up) reproducing experimental and theoretical information, although our values are somewhat larger. The OH rotovibrational distribution is cold in agreement with experiment. Finally, our results reproduce experimental backward scattering distribution, associated to a rebound mechanism. These results lend confidence to the accuracy of the new surface, which substantially improves the results obtained with our previous surface (PES-2000) for the same system.

Ab initio based potential energy surface and kinetics study of the OH + NH3 hydrogen abstraction reaction

A full-dimensional analytical potential energy surface (PES) for the OH + NH3 → H2O + NH2 gas-phase reaction was developed based exclusively on high-level ab initio calculations. This reaction presents a very complicated shape with wells along the reaction path. Using a wide spectrum of properties of the reactive system (equilibrium geometries, vibrational frequencies, and relative energies of the stationary points, topology of the reaction path, and points on the reaction swath) as reference, the resulting analytical PES reproduces reasonably well the input ab initio information obtained at the coupled-cluster single double triple (CCSD(T)) = FULL/aug-cc-pVTZ//CCSD(T) = FC/cc-pVTZ single point level, which represents a severe test of the new surface. As a first application, on this analytical PES we perform an extensive kinetics study using variational transition-state theory with semiclassical transmission coefficients over a wide temperature range, 200-2000 K. The forward rate constants reproduce the experimental measurements, while the reverse ones are slightly underestimated. However, the detailed analysis of the experimental equilibrium constants (from which the reverse rate constants are obtained) permits us to conclude that the experimental reverse rate constants must be re-evaluated. Another severe test of the new surface is the analysis of the kinetic isotope effects (KIEs), which were not included in the fitting procedure. The KIEs reproduce the values obtained from ab initio calculations in the common temperature range, although unfortunately no experimental information is available for comparison.

Laboratory-scale investigation of UV treatment of ammonia for livestock and poultry barn exhaust applications

The feasibility of using deep ultraviolet (UV) treatment for abatement of ammonia (NH(3)) in livestock and poultry barn exhaust air was examined in a series of laboratory-scale experiments. These experiments simulated moving exhaust air through an irradiation chamber with variables of UV wavelength and dose, NH(3) concentrations, humidity, and presence of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S). Ammonia, initially at relevant barn exhaust concentrations in air, was substantially or completely reduced by irradiation with 185 nm light. Reactions were monitored using chemiluminescence detection, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, of which the latter was found to be the most informative and flexible. Detected nitrogen-containing products included N(2)O, NH(4)NO(3), and HNO(3). It was presumed that atomic oxygen is the primary photochemical product that begins the oxidative cascade. The data show that removal of NH(3) is plausible, but they highlight concerns over pollution swapping due to formation of ozone and N(2)O.

Absolute and Relative-Rate Kinetics Experiments and Direct Dynamics Computations for the Reaction of Br Atoms with CH2ClBr

Kinetics of the reaction Br + CH2ClBr <--> CHClBr + HBr (1, -1) were studied experimentally in the forward direction. The absolute reaction kinetics method of laser flash photolysis coupled with Br atom resonance fluorescence detection and three different relative-rate methods with gas-chromatographic analysis were applied to carry out the experiments. The rate constants determined were found to obey the Arrhenius law in the wide temperature range of T = 293-785 K providing the kinetic expression k1 = (2.8 +/- 0.1) x 10(13) exp[-(47.6 +/- 0.3) kJ mol(-1)/RT] cm3 mol(-1) s(-1) (the errors given refer to 1sigma precision). An ab initio direct dynamics method was used to study reaction (1, -1) theoretically. The electronic structure information including geometries, gradients, and force constants was obtained at the MP2 level of theory; and energies were improved at higher theoretical levels. Rate constants were calculated using the canonical variational transition state theory with small-curvature tunneling correction over the temperature range 200-1000 K. Theory substantially underestimates k1 compared to experiment. The agreement was found good with k(-1) reported previously predicting positive temperature dependence. The experimental kinetic parameters were utilized in thermochemical calculations yielding the recommended standard enthalpy of formation of delta(f)H degrees (298) (CHClBr) = (140 +/- 4) kJ mol(-1) (with 2sigma accuracy given).

Ab initio and kinetic calculations for the reactions of Cl with SiHnCl4−n (n=1,2,3,4)

The direct hydrogen abstraction reactions of Cl atom with SiH(n)Cl(4-n) (n=1,2,3,4) have been studied systematically using ab initio molecular orbital theory. Geometries have been optimized at the MP2 level with 6-311+G(d) basis set, QCISD(T)/6-311+G(d,p) has been used in the final single point energy calculation. The kinetic calculations of these reactions have been explored using the canonical variational transition (CVT) state theory method with small-curvature tunneling (SCT) effect correction over the temperature range of 200-2000 K. The CVT/SCT rate constants exhibit typical non-Arrhenius behavior and three-parameter rate-temperature formulas have been fitted for the reactions of Cl with SiH4, SiH3Cl, SiH2Cl2, and SiHCl3, respectively (in unit of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)). The calculated CVT/SCT rate constants are in agreement with the available experimental values.

Theoretical Study of the Trapping of the OOH Radical by Coenzyme Q

The reactivity of the hydroperoxyl radical with coenzyme Q, as a prototypical chemical reaction involved in biological antioxidant actions, was studied theoretically. Two pathways were analyzed: the hydrogen abstraction reaction from the phenolic hydrogen on the reduced form (ubiquinol), and OOH addition on the oxidized form (ubiquinone). Optimized geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and energies of the stationary points (reactants, intermediate complexes, transition states, and products) for each pathway were calculated at the BHandHLYP/6-31G level of theory. The reaction paths for the two mechanisms were traced independently, and the respective thermal rate constants were calculated using variational transition-state theory with multidimensional small-curvature tunneling. We found that the reactivity of the OOH radical is dominated by the hydrogen abstraction mechanism on ubiquinol, with a rate constant of 5.32 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1), at 298 K. This result strongly contrasts with that, also obtained by our group, for the more reactive OH radical, which attacks ubiquinone by an addition mechanism, with a diffusion-controlled rate of 6.25 x 10(10) M(-1) s(-1), at 298 K.