Formation of alkoxymethyl hydroperoxides and alkyl formates from simplest Criegee intermediate (CH2OO) + ROH (R=CH3, CH3CH2, and (CH3)2CH) reaction systems

Gas-phase reactions involving simplest Criegee intermediate (CH₂OO) have been the current hot topic due to its vital role in atmospheric chemistry. In this study, high-level ab initio calculations are used to investigate the energetics and kinetics for the reaction of CH₂OO + ROH → ROCHO + H₂O (R=CH₃, CH₃CH₂ and (CH₃)₂CH). Energies of the stationary points are computed at the CCSD(T)/M06-2X/6-311++G(3d,3pd)//M06-2X/6-311++G(3d,3pd) level of theory. Reaction is going through a 1,2-addition and water elimination step leading to the formation of alkoxymethyl hydroperoxides and alkyl formates, respectively. The barrier heights for the 1,2-addition step with methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol were found to be − 3.1, − 3.7, and − 4.8 kcal mol⁻¹, and water elimination steps were found to be 2.2, 1.5, and 1.6 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, relative to the energies of the starting reactants. The rate constants for addition and elimination channels were calculated using canonical variational transition state theory in conjugation with small-curvature tunneling and the interpolated single point energy method between the temperature range of 200 and 500 K. In addition, the thermochemistry analysis indicates that addition and elimination channels are thermodynamically feasible and the formation of alkyl formates is entropically more favored when compared to the formation of alkoxymethyl hydroperoxide along the reaction path in the potential energy surface. The pressure-dependent microcanonical rate constants for both addition and elimination channels were also estimated using the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus theory and discussed in this study.