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The reaction pathways and potential energy profiles are theoretically explored for H-abstraction, addition and addition–dissociation reactions of methyl formate (MF, HC(＝O)OCH3) + NO2 using the high level quantum chemical compound method CCSD(T)/cc-pVxZ(x = T, Q)//M062X/6-311+G(2df,2p). Notably, three different HNO2 isomers (cis-HONO, trans-HONO and HNO2) are all considered in each reaction pathway. The corresponding temperature- and pressure-dependent rate constants are then computed by RRKM/ME simulations with one-dimensional hindered rotor approximation and asymmetric Eckart tunneling corrections. The calculations show that the rate constants are pressure independent. Although trans-HONO is the most stable HNO2 isomer, the results reveal that the dominant channels are cis-HONO + HC(＝O)OCH2/C(＝O)OCH3 and cis-HC(O)(ONO)OCH3 for the H-abstraction and addition, respectively. Moreover, the lowest energy barrier for the H-abstraction channel (cis-abs) is 11.2 kcal mol−1 lower than the addition channel (cis-add), and thus the addition channel is less kinetically favored. The computed rate constants for the MF + NO2 reaction are then incorporated into a kinetic model and the importance of the title reaction in predicting the ignition behavior of MF/NO2 mixtures is demonstrated by kinetic modeling. The detailed reaction kinetics in this work will be helpful for kinetic model development of other ester-based fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, methyl pentanoate (MP) was proposed as a viable biodiesel surrogate to petroleum-based fuels. To better understand the pyrolysis chemistry of MP, the unimolecular decomposition kinetics of MP is theoretically investigated on the basis of ab initio calculations; ten primary channels, including four intramolecular H-shifts and six C–C and C–O bond fissions, are identified. The geometries are optimized at the M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level of theory, and accurate barrier heights are determined using the DLPNO-CCSD(T)/CBS(T-Q) method, which shows a good performance against the CCSD(T)/CBS(T-Q) method with an uncertainty of 0.5 kcal mol−1 for small methyl esters. The atomization enthalpy method is adopted to obtain the thermodynamics of involved species. The Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus/master equation theory coupled with one-dimensional hindered rotor approximation is employed to calculate the phenomenological rate constants at 500–2000 K and 0.01–100 atm. The branching ratio analysis indicates that two reactions, MP ↔ CH3OC(＝O)CH3 + CH2CHCH3 and MP ↔ CH3OC(＝O)CH2 + CH2CH2CH3, are the dominant channels at low and high temperatures, respectively. The model from Diévart et al. [Proc. Combust. Inst., 2013, 34(1), 821–829] is updated with our calculations, and the modified model can yield a better prediction in reproducing the ignition delay times of MP at high temperatures. This work provides a comprehensive investigation of MP unimolecular decomposition, and can serve as a prototype for understanding the pyrolysis of larger alkyl esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction between CO and HO2 plays a significant role in syngas combustion. In this work, the catalytic effect of single-molecule water on this reaction is theoretically investigated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV(D,T,Q)Z and CCSD(T)-F12a/jun-cc-pVTZ levels in combination with the M062X/aug-cc-pVTZ level. Firstly, the potential energy surface (PES) of CO + HO2 (water-free) is revisited. The major products CO2 + OH are formed via a cis- or a trans-transition state (TS) channel and the formation of HCO + O2 is minor. In the presence of water, the title reaction has three different pre-reactive complexes (i.e., RC2: CO⋯HO2 + H2O, RC3: CO⋯H2O + HO2, and RC4: HO2⋯H2O + CO), depending on the initial hydrogen bond formation. Compared to the water-free process, the reaction barriers of the water-assisted process are reduced considerably, due to more stable cyclic TSs and complexes. The rate constants for the bimolecular reaction pathways CO + HO2, RC2, RC3, and RC4 are further calculated using conventional transition state theory (TST) with Eckart asymmetric tunneling correction. For reaction CO + HO2, our calculations are in good agreement with the literature. In addition, the effective rate constants for the water-assisted process decrease by 1–2 orders of magnitude compared to the water-free one at a temperature below 600 K. In particular, the effective rate constants for the water-assisted and water-free processes are 1.55 × 10−28 and 3.86 × 10−26 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at 300 K, respectively. This implies that the contribution of a single molecule water-assisted process is small and cannot accelerate the title reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To thoroughly understand low-temperature oxidation of dimethylamine (DMA), the reaction kinetics of triplet ground state O 2 addition to DMA radicals (CH 3 NH C ˙ H 2 and CH 3 N ˙ CH 3) are theoretically investigated. In CH 3 NH C ˙ H 2 + O 2 , the direct H-abstraction reaction is significant due to its extremely low energy barrier, and the dominant channels involving intermediates, CH 3 NHCH 2 O O ˙ = CH 3 NCH 2 + H O ˙ 2 , CH 3 NHCH 2 O O ˙ = C ˙ H 2 NHCH 2 OOH and C ˙ H 2 NHCH 2 OOH = CH 2 NH + CH 2 O + O ˙ H , also have much lower barriers than those in reaction system CH 3 CH 2 C ˙ H 2 + O 2. In CH 3 N ˙ CH 3 + O 2 , the O 2 addition to N atom has a tight transition state, hindering radical consumption at low temperatures. The second O 2 addition to C ˙ H 2 NHCH 2 OOH is further investigated because of its comparable production at low temperatures and elevated pressures. The temperature- and pressure-dependent rate constants are calculated; CH 3 NCH 2 + H O ˙ 2 and CH 2 NCH 2 OOH + H O ˙ 2 are the dominant products for the first and second O 2 addition reactions, respectively, but the formation of formamides/O-heterocycles + O ˙ H is less important. Our results reveal different reaction pathways of DMA radicals from those of alkyls, and shed light on low-temperature oxidation mechanisms of N-containing fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrolysis of nitromethane, CH 3 NO 2 , was studied at ∼3.5 atm and 1013 K–1418 K in a heated shock tube by measuring the key product nitric oxide (NO) using mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy. We used a quantum cascade laser (QCL) at 5.26 µm to exploit the strong NO absorption at 1900.08 cm−1. With the NO absorption cross-section data characterized at 1006 K–1789 K and 2.7 atm–3.5 atm behind reflected shock waves, we measured the NO concentration time-histories during the pyrolysis of nitromethane at two different concentrations (1.05% and 0.6%). The absorption interference from other major products such as CO and H 2 O was analyzed to be negligible, leading to an interference-free NO diagnostic in nitromethane pyrolysis. A recent kinetic model of Shang et al. (2019) was adopted to interpret the shock tube data. All the NO time-histories measured over the entire temperature range 1013 K–1418 K were well-predicted by this model in terms of the initial NO formation rate and the final plateau level. The rate-of-production, sensitivity, and reaction flux analyses were performed to identify four important reactions (CH 3 NO 2 = CH 3 + NO 2 , CH 3 NO 2 ↔ CH 3 ONO = CH 3 O + NO, CH 3 + NO 2 = CH 3 O + NO, and NO 2 + H = NO + OH) that determine the NO formation during CH 3 NO 2 pyrolysis. The satisfactory agreement between the simulation and shock tube/laser absorption measurement further validated the kinetic mechanism of nitromethane decomposition. The developed mid-infrared NO absorption sensor provides a promising diagnostic tool for studying fuel-nitrogen chemical kinetics in the shock tube experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]