Gas-Phase Room-Temperature Detection of the tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide Dimer

We have detected the tert-butyl hydroperoxide dimer, (t-BuOOH)2, in the gas phase at room temperature using conventional FTIR techniques. The dimer is identified by an asymmetric absorbance band assigned to the fundamental hydrogen-bound OHb-stretch. The weighted band maximum of the dimer OHb-stretch is located at ∼3452 cm-1, red-shifted by ∼145 cm-1 from the monomer OH-stretching band. The gas-phase dimer assignment is supported by Ar matrix isolation FTIR experiments at 12 K and experiments with a partially deuterated sample. Computationally, we find the lowest energy structure of (t-BuOOH)2 to be a doubly hydrogen bound six-membered ring with non-optimal hydrogen bond angles. We estimate the gas-phase constant of dimer formation, K, to be 0.4 (standard pressure of 1 bar) using the experimental integrated absorbance and a theoretically determined oscillator strength of the OHb-stretching band.

Maximizing Active Fe Species in ZSM-5 Zeolite Using Organic-Template-Free Synthesis for Efficient Selective Methane Oxidation

The selective oxidation of CH₄ in the aqueous phase to produce valuable chemicals has attracted considerable attention due to its mild reaction conditions and simple process. As the most widely studied catalyst for this reaction, Fe-ZSM-5 demonstrates high intrinsic activity and selectivity; however, Fe-ZSM-5 prepared using conventional methods has a limited number of active Fe sites, resulting in low CH₄ conversion per unit mass of the catalyst. This study reports a facile organic-template-free synthesis strategy that enables the incorporation of more Fe into the zeolite framework with a higher dispersion degree compared to conventional synthesis methods. Because framework Fe incorporated in this way is more readily transformed into isolated extra-framework Fe species under thermal treatment, the overall effect is that Fe-ZSM-5 prepared using this method (Fe-HZ5-TF) has 3 times as many catalytically active sites as conventional Fe-ZSM-5. When used for the selective oxidation of CH₄ with 0.5 M H₂O₂ at 75 °C, Fe-HZ5-TF produced a high C₁ oxygenate yield of 109.4 mmol g_cat^-1 h^-1 (a HCOOH selectivity of 91.1%), surpassing other catalysts reported to date. Spectroscopic characterization and density functional theory calculations revealed that the active sites in Fe-HZ5-TF are mononuclear Fe species in the form of [(H₂O)₃Fe(IV)═O]²⁺ bound to Al pairs in the zeolite framework. This differs from conventional Fe-ZSM-5, where binuclear Fe acts as the active site. Analysis of the catalyst and product evolution during the reaction suggests a radical-driven pathway to explain CH₄ activation at the mononuclear Fe site and subsequent conversion to C₁ oxygenates.

High-efficiency direct methane conversion to oxygenates on a cerium dioxide nanowires supported rhodium single-atom catalyst

Direct methane conversion (DMC) to high value-added products is of significant importance for the effective utilization of CH₄ to combat the energy crisis. However, there are ongoing challenges in DMC associated with the selective C−H activation of CH₄. The quest for high-efficiency catalysts for this process is limited by the current drawbacks including poor activity and low selectivity. Here we show a cerium dioxide (CeO₂) nanowires supported rhodium (Rh) single-atom (SAs Rh-CeO₂ NWs) that can serve as a high-efficiency catalyst for DMC to oxygenates (i.e., CH₃OH and CH₃OOH) under mild conditions. Compared to Rh/CeO₂ nanowires (Rh clusters) prepared by a conventional wet-impregnation method, CeO₂ nanowires supported Rh single-atom exhibits 6.5 times higher of the oxygenates yield (1231.7 vs. 189.4 mmol g_Rh⁻¹ h⁻¹), which largely outperforms that of the reported catalysts in the same class. This work demonstrates a highly efficient DMC process and promotes the research on Rh single-atom catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis.

Direct methane conversion to high value-added products is a promising way for highly-efficient utilization of methane. Here, the authors demonstrate that rhodium single-atom supported on cerium dioxide nanowires can selectively convert methane to oxygenates under mild conditions.

A spectroscopic and ab initio study of the hydrogen peroxide–formic acid complex: hindering the internal motion of H2O2

Hydrogen peroxide imprints its chirality onto the H₂O₂–formic acid complex, which results in an asymmetric tunnelling potential.

VUV photochemistry of the H2O⋯CO complex in noble-gas matrices: formation of the OH⋯CO complex and the HOCO radical

VUV photolysis of the H₂O⋯CO complexes leads to the formation of the OH⋯CO radical–molecule complexes and trans-HOCO radicals.

Matrix-isolation studies of noncovalent interactions: more sophisticated approaches

Noncovalent interactions are crucial for many physical, chemical, and biological phenomena. Matrix isolation is a powerful method to study noncovalent interactions, including hydrogen-bonded species, and it has been extensively used in this field. However, there are difficult situations, such as in the case of species that are impossible to prepare in the gas phase. In this article, we describe some advanced approaches allowing studies of complexes that are problematic for the traditional methods. Photolysis of a suitable precursor in a matrix can lead to a large concentration of 1:1 complexes, which are otherwise very difficult to prepare (e.g., the H2O···O complex). Photolysis of species combined with annealing can lead to complexes of molecules with mobile atoms (e.g., the same H2O···O complex). Simultaneous photolysis of two species combined with annealing can produce complexes of radicals via reactions of the photogenerated complexes with mobile atoms (e.g., the H2O···HCO complex). Interaction of noble-gas (Ng) hydrides with other species is another topic (e.g., the N2···HArF complex) and very large blue shifts of the H-Ng stretching modes are normally observed for these systems. Complexes and dimers of the higher-energy conformer of formic acid have been prepared by using selective vibrational excitation of the ground-state conformer. The higher-energy conformer of formic acid can be efficiently stabilized in the complexes with strong hydrogen bonding. We also consider some problematic cases when the changes in the vibrational frequencies of the 1:1 complexes are very small (e.g., the phenol···Xe complex) and when the complex formation is prevented by strong solvation in the matrix (e.g., species in solid xenon).

Matrix-isolated hydrogen-bonded and van der Waals complexes of hydrogen peroxide with OCS and CS2

Matrix isolation spectroscopy has been combined with ab initio calculations to characterize the 1:1 complexes of H2O2 with OCS and CS2. The infrared spectra of the argon and nitrogen matrices doped with H2O2 and OCS or CS2 have been measured and analyzed. The geometries of the complexes were optimized at the MP2/6-311++G(3df,3pd) level of theory. Four structures were found for the OCS-H2O2 complex and five for the CS2-H2O2 one; every pair of the corresponding structures showed close correspondence. For every optimized structure the interaction energy was partitioned according to the SAPT Scheme and the topological distribution of the charge density (AIM theory) was performed. The SAPT analysis and AIM results indicate that only one complex among the nine optimized ones is stabilized by the hydrogen bonding, namely the OCS-H2O2 one with the OH group of H2O2 bonded to an oxygen atom of OCS. The other structures are stabilized by van der Waals interaction. The spectra analysis evidences that at least two types of the complexes are trapped in the argon matrices including the most stable ones: hydrogen bonded structure in the case of the OCS-H2O2 complex and the structure stabilized by the S···H and C···O interactions in the case of the CS2-H2O2 complex. The solid nitrogen environment triggers the formation of the structures of C2v symmetry with a sulfur atom of OCS or CS2 directed toward the center of O-O bond of H2O2, stabilized by S···O interactions.

Theoretical studies on the electron capture properties of the H2SO4...HOO˙ complex and its implications as an alternative source of HOOH

To better understand the potential role of sulfuric acid aerosols in the atmosphere, the electron capture properties of the H(2)SO(4)...HOO˙ complex have been systematically investigated by employing the MP2 and B3LYP methods in combination with the atoms in molecules (AIM) theory, energy decomposition analysis (EDA), and ab initio molecular dynamics. It was found that the electron capture process is a favorable reaction thermodynamically and kinetically. The excess electron can be captured by the HOO˙ fragment initially, and then the proton of the H(2)SO(4) fragment associated with the intermolecular H-bonds is transferred to the HOO˙ fragment without any activation barriers, resulting in the formation of the HOOH species directly. Therefore, the electron capture process of the H(2)SO(4)...HOO˙ complex provides an alternative source of HOOH in the atmosphere. The nature of the coupling interactions in the electron capture products are clarified, and the most stable anionic complex is also determined. Additionally, the influences of the adjacent water molecules on the electron capture properties are investigated, as well as the distinct IR features of the most stable electron capture product.

Direct Dynamics Study on the Hydrogen Abstraction Reaction CH2O + HO2 → CHO + H2O2

We present a direct ab initio dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reaction CH2O + HO2 --> CHO + H2O2, which is predicted to have four possible reaction channels caused by different attacking orientations of HO2 radical to CH2O. The structures and frequencies at the stationary points and the points along the minimum energy paths (MEPs) of the four reaction channels are calculated at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Energetic information of stationary points and the points along the MEPs is further refined by means of some single-point multilevel energy calculations (HL). The rate constants of these channels are calculated using the improved canonical variational transition-state theory with the small-curvature tunneling correction (ICVT/SCT) method. The calculated results show that, in the whole temperature range, the more favorable reaction channels are Channels 1 and 3. The total ICVT/SCT rate constants of the four channels at the HL//B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory are in good agreement with the available experiment data over the measured temperature ranges, and the corresponding three-parameter expression is k(ICVT/SCT) = 3.13 x 10(-20) T(2.70) exp(-11.52/RT) cm3 mole(-1) s(-1) in the temperature range of 250-3000 K. Additionally, the flexibility of the dihedral angle of H2O2 is also discussed to explain the different experimental values.