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J Chem Phys. 2014 Jan 28;140(4):044321. doi: 10.1063/1.4862827.

A density functional theory model of mechanically activated silyl ester hydrolysis.

The Journal of chemical physics

Michael F Pill, Sebastian W Schmidt, Martin K Beyer, Hauke Clausen-Schaumann, Alfred Kersch

Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Sciences and Mechatronics, Munich University of Applied Sciences, Lothstr. 34, 80335 Munich, Germany.
  2. Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Olshausenstraße 40, 24098 Kiel, Germany.

PMID: 25669537 DOI: 10.1063/1.4862827

Abstract

To elucidate the mechanism of the mechanically activated dissociation of chemical bonds between carboxymethylated amylose (CMA) and silane functionalized silicon dioxide, we have investigated the dissociation kinetics of the bonds connecting CMA to silicon oxide surfaces with density functional calculations including the effects of force, solvent polarizability, and pH. We have determined the activation energies, the pre-exponential factors, and the reaction rate constants of candidate reactions. The weakest bond was found to be the silyl ester bond between the silicon and the alkoxy oxygen atom. Under acidic conditions, spontaneous proton addition occurs close to the silyl ester such that neutral reactions become insignificant. Upon proton addition at the most favored position, the activation energy for bond hydrolysis becomes 31 kJ mol(-1), which agrees very well with experimental observation. Heterolytic bond scission in the protonated molecule has a much higher activation energy. The experimentally observed bi-exponential rupture kinetics can be explained by different side groups attached to the silicon atom of the silyl ester. The fact that different side groups lead to different dissociation kinetics provides an opportunity to deliberately modify and tune the kinetic parameters of mechanically activated bond dissociation of silyl esters.

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