Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Study of the recombination reaction CH/sub 3/ + CH/sub 3/. -->. C/sub 2/H/sub 6/. 2. Theory

Journal Article · · J. Phys. Chem.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100320a016· OSTI ID:7143904
A microcanonical variational RRKM rate constant calculation, based on the flexible transition-state theory of Wardlaw and Marcus (Chem. Phys. Lett. 1984, 110, 230) and an adjustable semiempirical potential energy surface, is compared to the measurement of part 1 (preceding paper in this issue) and other experimental studies. The calculations contain two adjustable parameters: a potential parameter ..cap alpha.., which influences the tightness of the transition state, and <..delta..E>/sub tot/, the total average energy change in metastable C/sub 2/H/sub 6/* per collision with the buffer gas. When the parameters are optimized, the resulting calculated rate constants have a 9.9% root mean square error with respect to the measurements in Ar buffer gas. The final parameter values are ..cap alpha.. = 0.70 +/- 0.13 A/sup -1/ and <..delta..E>/sub tot/ = -205 +/- 65 cm/sup -1/. Similar calculations for He buffer gas produce 22.4% error when compared to the less extensive measurements and give an optimized <..delta..E>/sub tot/ value of about -135 cm/sup -1/. The rate calculations for Ar buffer gas have been extended to 2000 K and then fit over the full temperature and pressure range to a modification of the functional form of Gilbert et al. (Ber. Bunsen-Ges. Phys. Chem. 1983, 87, 161). The resulting fitted functions required by that form are k/sub 0/ = 8.76 x 10/sup -7/T/sup -7.03/e/sup -1390/T/(Ar) cm/sup 3//(molecule s), F/sub cent/ = 0.381e/sup -T/73.2/ + 0.619e/sup -T/1180/, and k/sub infinity/ = 1.50 x 10/sup -7/T/sup 1.18/e/sup -329/T/ cm/sup 3//(molecule s). When used in the Gilbert et al. function, this parametrization produces an excellent representation of the theoretical and experimental rate constants in Ar.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
7143904
Journal Information:
J. Phys. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Phys. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 92:9; ISSN JPCHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English