ISSN:
0894-3230
Keywords:
P - S bond cleavage
;
hydroperoxidolysis
;
nerve agent VX
;
molecular orbital calculations
;
Chemistry
;
Theoretical, Physical and Computational Chemistry
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
The P - S bond cleavage process in the hydroperoxidolysis of a model system for the nerve agent VX was studied using ab initio and semiempirical molecular orbital methods. Aqueous solvation effects were included through single-point calculations using the semiempirical SM5.2PD/A continuum solvation model and geometries optimized at the HF/MIDI! level of theory. The predominant pathway for P - S bond cleavage involves pseudorotation of a low-energy trigonal bipyramidal intermediate followed by apical ligand ejection. In aqueous solution, the free energy barriers for these processes are found to be 14.3 and 4.6 kcal mol-1, respectively, with electronic energies calculated at the MP2/cc-pVDZ//HF/MIDI! level of theory. By comparison with another continuum model of solvation (PCM), it is concluded that the SM5.2PD/A model performs well even for hypervalent phosphorus species, in spite of not having included any such molecules in the model's parameterization set. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Additional Material:
4 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
