Reaction Mechanisms and Dynamics

We performed successful computational studies for several important organic chemistry reactions, including the Cope rearrangement of 1,5-hexadiene, cycloaddition of cyclopentyne to ethylene, thermal stereomutations of cyclopropane, and isomerization of bicyclo[1.1.0]butane to buta-1,3-diene. We carried out unprecedented coupled-cluster calculations for CuO₂ and Cu₂O₂ systems, relevant to oxygen activation by metalloenzymes, for photoisomerizations of acetylacetone, for diffusion of atomic oxygen on the silicon surface, for proton-transfer reactions between the dithiophosphinic acids and water molecules, relevant to nuclear waste management, for aerobic oxidation of methanol on gold nanoparticles, and for the Co-C bond dissociation in methylcobalamin, relevant to catalytic properties of B₁₂. We also studied the photo-induced charge-transfer (“harpooning”) reactions between alkali metal atoms and halides. In particular, we combined ab initio and dynamical approaches to characterize quasi-bound states of van der Waals molecules that are precursors of these reactions.