The Heterolytic Dissociation of Neutral and Protonated Nitrous Acid Hong Wu Rainer Glaser 10.1021/jp035149m.s001 https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_Heterolytic_Dissociation_of_Neutral_and_Protonated_Nitrous_Acid/3355930 Structures, energies, and vibrational properties of HONO and H<sub>2</sub>ONO<sup>+</sup> and of their dissociation products NO<sup>+</sup>, HO<sup>-</sup>, and water were studied with the DFT methods B3LYP and MPW1PW91 and with the configurational methods MP2, QCISD, QCISD(T), CCSD, and CCSD(T) in conjunction with the basis sets 6-31G**, 6-31++G**, 6-311G**, 6-311++G**, 6-311++G(2d,p), and 6-311++G(2df,2p). The multilevel methods G1, G2, G2(MP2), G3, and CBS-Q also were employed. The experimental trans-preference energy <i>Δ</i><i>E</i><i><sub>0</sub></i><i><sup>Pref </sup></i><sup></sup>= 1.555 ± 0.167 kJ/mol of HONO is reproduced well at all levels with good basis sets. On the basis of the CCSD(T)/6-311++G(2df,2p) energies and the thermochemical data, our best computed estimate is <i>Δ</i><i>E</i><i><sub>0</sub></i><i><sup>Pref</sup></i><sup></sup> = 1.83 kJ/mol. The experimental heterolytic bond dissociation energy of <i>Δ</i><i>E</i><i><sub>0</sub></i> = 917.80 kJ/mol for HONO and of <i>Δ</i><i>H</i><i><sub>298</sub></i> = 77.3 kJ/mol for H<sub>2</sub>ONO<sup>+</sup> are more difficult to reproduce. At the CCSD(T)/6-311++G(2df,2p) level, we found <i>Δ</i><i>E</i><i><sub>0</sub></i> = 925.5 kJ/mol and <i>Δ</i><i>H</i><i><sub>298</sub></i> = 81.6 kJ/mol. The MP2, QCISD, and CCSD methods yield reasonable results when used with larger basis sets. The G2 method as well as the G2-mimics G2(MP2) and G3 also yield reasonable results. The density functional methods performed significantly worse than the MP2(full), QCISD, and CCSD methods. The structures of <i>E</i>- and<i> Z</i>-HONO, of the electrostatic complex H<sub>2</sub>ONO<sup>+</sup>, and of the dissociation products also are discussed. Effects of aqueous solvation were examined with the IPCM method at DFT, MP2, and QCISD levels with the 6-311++G(2df,2p) basis set. Only the proton-catalyzed heterolysis plays a role at ambient temperatures, and our results suggests different mechanisms for NO<sup>+</sup> formation in gas-phase and in solution. 2003-12-18 00:00:00 G 2 method QCISD HONO HO dissociation products Δ H 298 MPW MP Δ E 0 basis sets CCSD methods IPCM 1PW Δ E 0 Pref DFT methods B 3LYP H 2 ONO heterolytic bond dissociation energy kJ