Rapid Hydrogen Shift Reactions in Acyl Peroxy Radicals

Abstract

We have used quantum mechanical chemical calculations (CCSD(T)-F12a/cc-pVDZ-F12//M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ) to investigate the hydrogen shift (H-shift) reactions in acyl peroxy and hydroperoxy acyl peroxy radicals. We have focused on the H-shift reactions from a hydroperoxy group (OOH) (1,X-OOH H-shift with X = 6, 7, 8, or 9) in the hydroperoxy acyl peroxy radicals, this H-shift is a reversible reaction and it scrambles between two peroxides, hydroperoxy acyl peroxy and peroxy peroxoic acid radicals. The forward reaction rate constants of the 1,X-OOH H-shift reactions are estimated to be above 10 3 s –1 with transition state theory corrected with Eckart quantum tunnelling correction. The ratio between the forward and reverse reaction rate constant of the 1,X-OOH H-shift reactions is around ∼10 5 . Therefore, the equilibrium is pushed toward the production of peroxy peroxoic acid radicals. These very fast 1,X-OOH H-shift reactions are much faster than the reactions with NO and HO 2 under most atmospheric conditions and must be included in the atmospheric models when hydroperoxy acyl peroxy radicals are oxidized. Finally, we have observed that H-shift reactions in a pentane acyl peroxy radical (C5-AOO) is fast (>1 s –1 ); this can have a significant influence on the possible formation of large acyl peroxy nitrate molecules.