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

Title: Mechanisms for the reactions between methane and the neutral transition metal atoms from yttrium to palladium

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society

Calculations including electron correlations have been performed for the oxidative addition reactions between methane and the whole sequence of second row transition metal atoms from yttrium to palladium. The lowest barrier for the C-H insertion reaction is found for the rhodium atom. Palladium has the lowest methane elimination barrier. The barrier height is governed by two factors. In the reactant channel low repulsion favors a low barrier, and in the product channel strong bond formation is important. The atomic state with lowest repulsion toward methane is the d{sup n+2} state and the strongest bonds are formed to the d{sup n+1} s state. For rhodium both these states are energetically low lying. Only palladium has a bound {eta}{sup 2} precursor state on the ground state potential surface. Another interesting result is that the potential surface for the reaction between methane and the rhodium atom is remarkably similar to the potential surface for the reaction between methane and ClRhL{sub 2}, which has been studied experimentally. 44 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
457070
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 114, Issue 15; Other Information: PBD: 15 Jul 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Experimental and theoretical study of the photodissociation reaction of thiophenol at 243 nm: Intramolecular orbital alignment of the phenylthiyl radical
Journal Article · Sun Jan 21 00:00:00 EST 2007 · Journal of Chemical Physics · OSTI ID:457070

A theoretical study of the reactivity of Pd clusters with methane
Journal Article · Thu Jul 09 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Journal of Physical Chemistry · OSTI ID:457070

Optical detection of yttrium dicarbide, a {open_quotes}T-shaped{close_quotes} molecule
Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1997 · Journal of Chemical Physics · OSTI ID:457070