Quantum dynamics calculations reveal temperature independence of kinetic isotope effect of the OH + HBr/DBr reaction.

The reaction of OH radicals with HBr plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry as the reaction, OH + HBr → Br + HO, produces Br atoms that destroy ozone. The experimental measurements of the kinetic isotope effect of k(OH + HBr)/k(OH + DBr) found that the kinetic isotope effects are temperature-independent. However, previous quasi-classical trajectory calculations on an accurate ab initio potential energy surface showed that the kinetic isotope effect is temperature-dependent. By contrast, the present full-dimensional time-dependent quantum dynamics calculations on the same potential energy surface find that the kinetic isotope effect is temperature-independent, agreeing well with the experimental studies both qualitatively and quantitatively. Furthermore, the rate constants from both quantum dynamics and quasi-classical trajectory calculations have a peak at around 15 K whereas the experimental data are not available in this low temperature range. The good agreement of the temperature-dependence of kinetic isotope effects between the present quantum dynamics calculations and the experimental measurements indicates that the kinetic isotope effect of k(OH + HBr)/k(OH + DBr) should be temperature-independent and the peak of the rate constants from the theoretical calculations call for experimental measurements at a very low temperature range.