0000000000383309

AUTHOR

Béatrice Bussery-honvault

Towards a converged barrier height for the entrance channel transition state of the N(2D)+CH4 reaction and its implication for the chemistry in Titan’s atmosphere

Abstract The N( 2 D) + CH 4 reaction appears to be a key reaction for the chemistry of Titan’s atmosphere, opening the door to nitrile formation as recently observed by the Cassini–Huygens mission. Faced to the controversy concerning the existence or not of a potential barrier for this reaction, we have carried out accurate ab initio calculations by means of multi-state multi-reference configuration interaction (MS-MR-SDCI) method. These calculations have been partially corrected for the size-consistency errors (SCE) by Davidson, Pople or AQCC corrections. We suggest a barrier height of 3.86 ± 0.84 kJ/mol, including ZPE, for the entrance transition state, in good agreement with the experime…

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Ab initio calculations for the far infrared collision induced absorption by N2 gas

We present (far-infrared) Collision Induced Absorption (CIA) spectra calculations for pure gaseous N2 made for the first time, from first-principles. They were carried out using classical molecular dynamics simulations based on ab initio predictions of both the intermolecular potential and the induced-dipole moment. These calculations reproduce satisfactory well the experimental values (intensity and band profile) with agreement within 3% at 149 K. With respect to results obtained with only the long range (asymptotic) dipole moment (DM), including the short range overlap contribution improves the band intensity and profile at 149 K, but it deteriorates them at 296 K. The results show that t…

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Transition state theory thermal rate constants and RRKM-based branching ratios for the N((2)D) + CH(4) reaction based on multi-state and multi-reference ab initio calculations of interest for the Titan's chemistry.

International audience; Multireference single and double configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations including Davidson (+Q) or Pople (+P) corrections have been conducted in this work for the reactants, products, and extrema of the doublet ground state potential energy surface involved in the N(2D) + CH4 reaction. Such highly correlated ab initio calculations are then compared with previous PMP4, CCSD(T), W1, and DFT/B3LYP studies. Large relative differences are observed in particular for the transition state in the entrance channel resolving the disagreement between previous ab initio calculations. We confirm the existence of a small but positive potential barrier (3.86 +/- 0.84 kJ mol-1…

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Asymptotic potentials and rate constants in the adiabatic capture centrifugal sudden approximation for X + OH(X-2 Pi) -> OX + H(S-2) reactions where X = O(P-3), S(P-3) or N(S-4)

International audience; New long-range multipolar coefficients for the X + OH(X-2 Pi) interactions, where X = O(P-3), S(P-3) and N(S-4), are given here. They have been evaluated on the basis or monomer properties of the atoms and OH such as the dipole and quadrupole moments, and the static and dynamic polarizabilities. Each matrix element of the 18 x 18 (8 x 8 for N + OH) quasi-degenerate asymptotic potentials has been built up by means of the perturbation theory up to second order including or not the fine-structure of O, S and OH. The adiabatic potentials, obtained after diagonalization of the full matrix, show many crossings and complex behaviors near the asymptotes. Using the entrance c…

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Quasiclassical Trajectory and Statistical Quantum Calculations for the C + OH → CO + H Reaction on the First Excited 12A″ Potential Energy Surface

We report quasiclassical trajectory dynamical calculations for the C( 3P) + OH(X2Π) → CO(a3Π) + H( 2S) using a recently developed ab initio potential energy surface for the first electronic state of HCO of 12A″ symmetry. The dependence of integral cross sections on the collision energy was determined. Product energy and angular distributions have also been calculated. Integral cross sections show no energy threshold and decrease as the collision energy increases. The comparison with results obtained from a statistical quantum method seems to confirm that the reaction is mainly dominated by an indirect mechanism in which a long-lived intermediate complex is involved. © 2013 American Chemical…

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Quantum dynamical study of the O(1D) + CH4→ CH3+ OH atmospheric reaction

Time independent quantum mechanical (TIQM) scattering calculations have been carried out for the O((1)D) + CH4(X(1)A1) → CH3(X(2)A2″) + OH(X(2)Π) atmospheric reaction, using an ab initio ground potential energy surface where the CH3 group is described as a pseudo-atom. Total and state-to-state reaction probabilities for a total angular momentum J = 0 have been determined for collision energies up to 0.5 eV. The vibrational and rotational state OH product distributions show no specific behavior. The rate coefficient has been calculated by means of the J-shifting approach in the 10-500 K temperature range and slightly depends on T at ordinary temperatures (as expected for a barrierless reacti…

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