skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Riddles of the structure and vibrational dynamics of HO3 resolved near the ab initio limit

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5110291· OSTI ID:1577604

The hydridotrioxygen (HO3) radical has been explored in many previous theoretical and experimental studies over several decades, originally because of its possible relevance to the tropospheric HOx cycle but more recently because of its fascinating chemical bonding, geometric structure, and vibrational dynamics. We have executed new, comprehensive research on this vexing molecule via focal point analyses (FPA) to approach the ab initio limit of optimized geometric structures, relative energies, complete quartic force fields, and the entire reaction path for cis-trans isomerization. High-order coupled cluster theory was applied through the CCSDT(Q) and even CCSDTQ(P) levels, and CBS extrapolations were performed using cc-pVXZ (X = 2–6) basis sets. The cis isomer proves to be higher than trans by 0.52 kcal mol-1, but this energetic ordering is achieved only after the CCSDT(Q) milestone is reached; the barrier for cis → trans isomerization is a minute 0.27 kcal mol-1. The FPA central re(O–O) bond length of trans-HO3 is astonishingly long (1.670 Å), consistent with the semiexperimental re distance we extracted from microwave rotational constants of 10 isotopologues using FPA vibration-rotation interaction constants (αi). The D0(HO–O2) dissociation energy converges to a mere 2.80 ± 0.25 kcal mol-1. Contrary to expectation for such a weakly bound system, vibrational perturbation theory performs remarkably well with the FPA anharmonic force fields, even for the torsional fundamental near 130 cm-1. Exact numerical procedures are applied to the potential energy function for the torsional reaction path to obtain energy levels, tunneling rates, and radiative lifetimes. The cis → trans isomerization occurs via tunneling with an inherent half-life of 1.4 × 10-11 s and 8.6 × 10-10 s for HO3 and DO3, respectively, thus resolving the mystery of why the cis species has not been observed in previous experiments executed in dissipative environments that allow collisional cooling of the trans-HO3 product. However, the pure ground eigenstate of the cis species in a vacuum is predicted to have a spontaneous radiative lifetime of about 1 h and 5 days for HO3 and DO3, respectively.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States); Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; SC0018412
OSTI ID:
1577604
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1560353
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 151, Issue 9; ISSN 0021-9606
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (127)

Oxygen-18 Isotopic Studies of HOOO and DOOO journal August 2017
Potential energy surface and quantum dynamics study of rovibrational states for HO3 (X 2A″) journal January 2008
Adiabatic approximations to internal rotation journal June 2006
The Thermodynamics of the Elusive HO3 Radical journal June 2010
Experimental Detection of Hydrogen Trioxide journal July 1999
A full coupled‐cluster singles and doubles model: The inclusion of disconnected triples journal February 1982
Detailed course of the O+HO 2 reaction journal January 1985
Detection and characterization of alkyl peroxy radicals using cavity ringdown spectroscopy journal June 2000
Variational vibrational calculations using high-order anharmonic force fields journal December 2004
Low temperature kinetics: the association of OH radicals with O2 journal January 2010
The ab initio limit quartic force field of BH 3 journal August 2005
On the accuracy of molecular properties by coupled-cluster methods for some difficult examples: Oxygen atom, iron atom, and cyano radical journal September 1994
Approximate treatment of higher excitations in coupled-cluster theory journal December 2005
An alternative calculation of the vibrational potential energy distribution journal November 1971
Optical activity in conformationally flexible molecules: a theoretical study of large-amplitude vibrational averaging in ( R )-3-chloro-1-butene journal April 2009
On the molecular structure of HOOO journal January 2012
Helium Nanodroplet Isolation Spectroscopy and ab Initio Calculations of HO 3 (O 2 ) n Clusters journal November 2012
Infrared spectroscopy of HOOO and DOOO in 4 He nanodroplets journal November 2012
Perturbation Theory Approach to Intermolecular Potential Energy Surfaces of van der Waals Complexes journal November 1994
General derivative relations for anharmonic force fields journal December 1996
The diagonal correction to the Born–Oppenheimer approximation: Its effect on the singlet–triplet splitting of CH 2 and other molecular effects journal April 1986
Self‐Consistent Orbitals for Radicals journal March 1954
Das Rotationsschwingungsspektrum des Wasserdampfes. I journal May 1933
Determination of Molecular Structures from Ground State Rotational Constants journal October 1958
Experimental Vibrational Zero-Point Energies: Diatomic Molecules journal June 2007
Is HO3 minimum cis or trans? An analytic full-dimensional ab initio isomerization path journal January 2011
Application of systematic sequences of wave functions to the water dimer journal April 1992
Some Studies Concerning Rotating Axes and Polyatomic Molecules journal April 1935
The heat of formation of NCO journal September 1993
The Water Vapor Molecule journal January 1940
Concerning zero‐point vibrational energy corrections to electronic energies journal October 1991
Intricate Conformational Tunneling in Carbonic Acid Monomethyl Ester journal March 2018
Double many-body expansion potential energy surface for ground-state HO3 journal June 1997
Dissociation Energy of the HOOO Radical journal October 2009
Calculation of inertia defect journal January 1961
Active Thermochemical Tables: thermochemistry for the 21st century journal January 2005
Benchmark Thermochemistry of the Hydroperoxyl Radical journal April 2004
The equilibrium structure of hydrogen peroxide journal January 2018
The far-infrared Laser Magnetic Resonance Spectrum of the OH radical journal April 1981
The Rotational Spectrum and Structure of the HOOO Radical journal June 2005
Ab initio study of the elusive HO3(X2A″) radical and the reaction journal December 2013
Many-body perturbation theory with a restricted open-shell Hartree—Fock reference journal November 1991
An open-shell restricted Hartree—Fock perturbation theory based on symmetric spin orbitals journal January 1993
Ab initio studies of interoxygen bonding in O 2 , HO 2 , H 2 O 2 , O 3 , HO 3 , and H 2 O 3 journal December 1973
Weakly Bound Clusters in Astrochemistry? Millimeter and Submillimeter Spectroscopy of trans -HO 3 and Comparison to Astronomical Observations journal December 2015
Stability of the Hydrogen Trioxy Radical via Infrared Action Spectroscopy journal June 2007
Constants of diatomic molecules book January 1979
Force-field calculation and geometry of the HOOO radical journal September 2013
Infrared Action Spectroscopy of the OD Stretch Fundamental and Overtone Transitions of the DOOO Radical journal October 2008
Enthalpy of formation and anharmonic force field of diacetylene journal January 2009
The full CCSDT model for molecular electronic structure journal June 1987
Infrared chemiluminescence studies using a SISAM spectrometer. Reactions producing vibrationally excited OH journal January 1987
Weakly Bound Molecules in the Atmosphere: A Case Study of HOOO journal March 2009
Infrared Detection of HO 2 and HO 3 Radicals in Water Ice journal July 2006
Stationary points on the energy hypersurface of the reaction O3 + H•→ [•O3H]* ⇆ O2 + •OH and thermodynamic functions of •O3H at G3MP2B3, CCSD(T)-CBS (W1U) and MR-ACPF-CBS levels of theory journal September 2005
Relative Energies and Geometries of the cis - and trans -HO 3 Radicals from the Parametric 2-Electron Density Matrix Method journal February 2013
Characterization of the X ̃  1 A ’ state of isocyanic acid journal January 1993
Structure, Stability, and Reactivity of Cationic Hydrogen Trioxides and Thermochemistry of their Neutral Analogs. A Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Study journal January 1996
Hyperfine structure of the hydroxyl free radical (OH) in electric and magnetic fields journal April 2015
A theoretical characterization of reactions of HOOO radical with guanine: formation of 8-oxoguanine journal February 2018
Calculation of inertia defect journal January 1962
Benchmark calculations with correlated molecular wave functions. IV. The classical barrier height of the H+H 2 →H 2 +H reaction journal May 1994
In pursuit of the ab initio limit for conformational energy prototypes journal June 1998
Examining the ground and first excited states of methyl peroxy radical with high-level coupled-cluster theory journal July 2015
On the Dissociation of Ground State trans -HOOO Radical: A Theoretical Study journal August 2010
Analysis of the HOOO torsional potential journal January 2011
A systematic study of molecular vibrational anharmonicity and vibration—rotation interaction by self-consistent-field higher-derivative methods. Asymmetric top molecules journal July 1988
Capture of hydroxymethylene and its fast disappearance through tunnelling journal June 2008
Odd-hydrogen: An account on electronic structure, kinetics, and role of water in mediating reactions with atmospheric ozone. Just a catalyst or far beyond? journal November 2013
Gaussian basis sets for use in correlated molecular calculations. I. The atoms boron through neon and hydrogen journal January 1989
Domino Tunneling journal June 2015
Characterization and Atmospheric Implication of Hydrotrioxy Radical-Water-Methylamine-Formic Acid-Sulphuric Acid Complexes journal February 2019
Anchoring the Absolute Proton Affinity Scale journal July 2008
Structure of the HOOO Radical in Liquid Water: A Theoretical Study journal January 2006
The coupled‐cluster single, double, triple, and quadruple excitation method journal September 1992
The accuracy of rotational constants predicted by high-level quantum-chemical calculations. I. molecules containing first-row atoms journal May 2008
The enthalpy of formation of trioxy radicals ROOO (R = H, CH3, C2H5). An ab initio study journal September 1996
CAS SCF and contracted CI calculations on the HO3 radical journal November 1984
Water Complexation as a Means of Stabilizing the Metastable HO 3 Radical journal September 1999
On the stability of the elusive HO3 radical journal January 2011
Taming the low-lying electronic states of FeH journal December 2012
Infrared absorption spectra of matrix-isolated cis, cis -HOONO and its ab initio CCSD(T) anharmonic vibrational bands journal February 2006
Coupled-cluster methods including noniterative corrections for quadruple excitations journal August 2005
Structures on the Singlet and Triplet O3H2 Potential Energy Surfaces: Implications for Photonucleation of Water in the Presence of Molecular Oxygen journal March 1995
The HOOO radical. A matrix isolation study journal December 2000
Theoretical study of the H+O 3 ↔OH+O 2 ↔O+HO 2 system journal March 1986
Rate coefficients for the relaxation of OH (v=1) by O2 at temperatures from 204–371K and by N2O from 243–372K journal April 2006
Nearly Degenerate Isomers of C(BH) 2 : Cumulene, Carbene, or Carbone? journal October 2013
HEAT: High accuracy extrapolated ab initio thermochemistry journal December 2004
σ Bond activation through tunneling: formation of the boron hydride cations BH n + (n = 2, 4, 6) journal January 2016
Infrared Action Spectroscopy and Dissociation Dynamics of the HOOO Radical journal November 2007
An improved eigenvalue corrector formula for solving the Schrödinger equation for central fields journal January 1961
Restricted open‐shell Hartree–Fock‐based many‐body perturbation theory: Theory and application of energy and gradient calculations journal November 1992
On the nature of the unusually long OO bond in HO3 and HO4 radicals journal January 2007
Kinetic and thermodynamic properties of the F+O 2 reaction system under high pressure and low temperature conditions journal April 1995
Gaussian basis sets for use in correlated molecular calculations. V. Core‐valence basis sets for boron through neon journal September 1995
Theoretical Characterization of Hydrogen Polyoxides: HOOH, HOOOH, HOOOOH, and HOOO journal January 2009
Approximate treatment of higher excitations in coupled-cluster theory. II. Extension to general single-determinant reference functions and improved approaches for the canonical Hartree–Fock case journal October 2008
Natural bond orbital analysis: A critical overview of relationships to alternative bonding perspectives journal July 2012
The puckering inversion barrier and vibrational spectrum of cyclopentene. A scaled quantum mechanical force field algorithm journal August 1992
The anharmonic force field and equilibrium molecular structure of ketene journal June 1995
Tunneling Isomerizations on the Potential Energy Surfaces of Formaldehyde and Methanol Radical Cations journal July 2017
Evidence for HOOO Radicals in the Formation of Alkyl Hydrotrioxides (ROOOH) and Hydrogen Trioxide (HOOOH) in the Ozonation of C−H Bonds in Hydrocarbons 1 journal January 2002
Dipole Moment of the HOOO Radical: Resolution of a Structural Enigma journal October 2013
Note on the numerical integration of d2x/dt2 =f(x,t) journal January 1927
Methylhydroxycarbene: Tunneling Control of a Chemical Reaction journal June 2011
Ab Initio Treatment of Bond-Breaking Reactions: Accurate Course of HO 3 Dissociation and Revisit to Isomerization journal January 2012
An Improved Eigenvalue Corrector Formula for Solving the Schrodinger Equation for Central Fields journal October 1961
Computations on the �-?? transition of isoprene-OH-O2 peroxy radicals journal January 2005
The analytic evaluation of energy first derivatives for two‐configuration self‐consistent‐field configuration interaction (TCSCF‐CI) wave functions. Application to ozone and ethylene journal December 1987
A diagnostic for determining the quality of single-reference electron correlation methods journal April 1989
High-Resolution Study of theÃ2A′ → X2A″ Transition of HO2: Analysis of the 000–000 Band journal October 1997
A Theoretical Study of the Potential Energy Surface and Rate Constant for an O( 3 P) + HO 2 Reaction journal April 2000
On the ab initio determination of higher‐order force constants at nonstationary reference geometries journal February 1993
Observation of ν1+νn combination bands of the HOOO and DOOO radicals using infrared action spectroscopy journal June 2008
Determination of Molecular Structure from Microwave Spectroscopic Data journal January 1953
On the Correlation Problem in Atomic and Molecular Systems. Calculation of Wavefunction Components in Ursell‐Type Expansion Using Quantum‐Field Theoretical Methods journal December 1966
Infrared overtone spectroscopy and unimolecular decay dynamics of peroxynitrous acid journal March 2005
On the geometry of the HO3 radical journal May 2008
Basis-set convergence of correlated calculations on water journal June 1997
The multichannel n -propyl + O 2 reaction surface: Definitive theory on a model hydrocarbon oxidation mechanism journal March 2018
The enthalpy of formation of trioxy radicals ROOO (R  H, CH3, C2H5). An ab initio study journal July 1996
Mechanistical studies on the formation of isotopomers of hydrogen peroxide (HOOH), hydrotrioxy (HOOO), and dihydrogentrioxide (HOOOH) in electron-irradiated H218O/O2 ice mixtures journal January 2007
An efficient linear-scaling CCSD(T) method based on local natural orbitals journal September 2013
Examining the ground and first excited states of methyl peroxy radical with high-level coupled-cluster theory text January 2015
Examining the ground and first excited states of methyl peroxy radical with high-level coupled-cluster theory text January 2015
Examining the ground and first excited states of methyl peroxy radical with high-level coupled-cluster theory text January 2015