Quasiclassical Kinetics of the H2 + H2 Reaction and Dissociation

New Full-Dimensional Reactive Potential Energy Surface for the H4 System

As the most abundant molecule in the universe, collisions involving H2 have important implications in astrochemistry. Collisions between hydrogen molecules also represent a prototype for assessing various dynamic methods for understanding fundamental few-body processes. In this work, we develop a new and highly accurate full-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) covering all reactive channels of the H2 + H2 system, which extends our previously reported H2 + H2 nonreactive PES [J. Chem. Theory Comput., 2021, 17, 6747] by adding 39,538 additional ab initio points calculated at the MRCI/AV5Z level in the reactive channels. The global PES is represented with high fidelity (RMSE = 0.6 meV for a total of 79,000 points) by a permutation invariant polynomial neural network (PIP-NN) and is suitable for studying collision-induced dissociation, single-exchange, as well as four-center exchange reactions. Preliminary quasi-classical trajectory studies on the new PIP-NN PES reveal strong vibrational enhancement of all reaction channels.

A high-level ab initio study of the N2 + N2 reaction channel

A new six-dimensional (6D) global potential energy surface (PES) is proposed for the full range description of the interaction of the N2(1Σg+)+N2(1Σg+) system governing collisional processes, including N atom exchange. The related potential energy values were determined using high-level ab initio methods. The calculations were performed at a coupled-cluster with single and double and perturbative triple excitations level of theory in order to have a first full range picture of the PES. Subsequently, in order to accurately describe the stretching of the bonds of the two interacting N2 molecules by releasing the constraints of being considered as rigid rotors, for the same molecular geometries higher level of theory multi reference calculations were performed. Out of the calculated values a 6D 4-atoms global PES was produced for use in dynamical calculations. The ab initio calculations were made possible by the combined use of High Throughput Computing and High Performance Computing techniques within the frame of a computing grid empowered molecular simulator.

Full-dimensional time-dependent wave packet dynamics of H2 + D2 reaction

Collision induced dissociation (CID), four center reaction (4C), and single exchange reaction (SE) in H(2) (v(1) = high) + D(2) (v(2) = low) were studied by means of time-dependent wave packet approach within a full-dimensional model. Initial state-selected total reaction probabilities for the three competitive processes have been computed on two realistic global potential energy surfaces of Aguado-Suárez-Paniagua and Boothroyd-Martin-Keogh-Peterson (BMKP) with the total angular momentum J = 0. The role of both vibrationally excited and rotationally excited reagents was examined by varying the initial vibrational and rotational states. The vibrational excitation of the hot diatom gives an enhancement effect on the CID process, while the vibrational excitation of the cold diatom gives an inhibition effect. The rotational excitation of both reagents has a significant effect on the reaction process. The 4C and SE probabilities are at least one order of magnitude smaller than the CID probabilities over the energy range considered. Isotope substitution effects were also studied by substituting the collider D(2) by H(2) and HD on the BMKP potential energy surfaces. The CID process is most efficient for the H(2) + D(2) combination and least efficient for the H(2) + H(2) combination and is different for the 4C and SE processes.

Quasiclassical trajectory study of reactive and dissociative processes in H2+H2: Comparison with quantum-mechanical calculations

Quasiclassical trajectory calculations have been carried out for H(2)(v(1)=high)+H(2)(v(2)=low) collisions within a three degrees of freedom model where five different geometries of the colliding complex were considered. Within this approach, probabilities for different competitive processes are studied: four center reaction, collision induced dissociation, reactive dissociation, and three-body complex formation. The purpose is to compare in detail with equivalent quantum-mechanical wave packet calculations [Bartolomei et al., J. Chem. Phys 122, 064305 (2005)], especially the behavior of the probabilities near reaction thresholds. Quasiclassical calculations compare quite well with the quantum-mechanical ones for collision induced dissociation as well as for the four center reaction, although quantum effects become very important near thresholds, particularly for lower v(1)'s and for the four center process. Less quantitative agreement is found for reactive dissociation and three-body complex formation. It is found that most quantum effects are due to differences between quantum and classical vibrational distributions of H(2)(v(1)=high). Zero point energy violation has been found in the classical reactive-dissociative probabilities. Extension of these findings to full-dimensional treatments is examined.

Wave packet dynamics of H2(v1=8-14)+H2(v2=0-2): the role of the potential energy surface on different reactive and dissociative processes

A time-dependent wave packet method has been used to study different competing products of H(2)+H(2) collisions: four center reaction, collision induced dissociation, reactive dissociation, and three-body complex formation. A three-degree-of-freedom reduced dimensionality model has been used for five different geometries of the colliding complex (parallel H, crossed X, collinear L, and two T-shaped geometries T(I) and T(II)), with reactants in selected vibrational states with one diatom vibrationally "hot" and the other one vibrationally "cold." Product probabilities have been calculated using two potential energy surfaces [J. Chem. Phys. 101, 4004 (1994); J. Chem. Phys. 116, 666 (2002)] in order to compare their performance in the dynamics. The regions of the potential energy surfaces responsible of the threshold behavior of the probabilities have been identified. Overall, we have found that the most recent potential energy surface is less anisotropic, provides a smaller propensity for insertion-type processes, and gives lower energy thresholds.

Inelastic collisions of molecular hydrogen: A comparison of results from quantum and classical mechanics

Full-dimensional quantum and classical calculations have been carried out for inelastic (nonreactive) energy transfer in H2+H2 on the ab initio potential energy surface of Boothroyd et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 116, 666 (2002)]. State-to-state cross sections are determined and compared for transitions from H2(0,j(ab))+H2(1,j(cd)). While there is excellent agreement for transitions involving small Deltaj, for larger Deltaj and for vibrational relaxation, significant differences are observed which exhibit no systematic trends. Reasons for this disagreement are discussed.