Comparing electronic structure predictions for the ground state dissociation of vinoxy radicals

This paper reports a series of electronic structure calculations performed on the dissociation pathways of the vinoxy radical (CH2CHO). We use coupled-cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (CCSD(T)), complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF), multireference configuration interaction (MRCI), and MRCI with the Davidson correction (MRCI+Q) to calculate the barrier heights of the two unimolecular dissociation pathways of this radical. The effect of state averaging on the barrier heights is investigated at the CASSCF, MRCI, and MRCI+Q levels. The change in mixing angle along the reaction path is calculated as a measure of derivative coupling and found to be insufficient to suggest nonadiabatic recrossing. We also present a new analysis of previous experimental data on the unimolecular dissociation of ground state vinoxy. In particular, an error in the internal energy distribution of vinoxy radicals reported in a previous paper is corrected and a new analysis of the experimental sensitivity to the onset energy (barrier height) for the isomerization reaction is given. Combining these studies, a final "worst case" analysis of the product branching ratio is given and a statistical model using each of the calculated transition states is found to be unable to correctly reproduce the experimental data. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.