ISSN:
0192-8651
Keywords:
Computational Chemistry and Molecular Modeling
;
Biochemistry
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
Notes:
A method for calculating the number of rotamers of a linear alkane and of the number of rotamers with a given number of gauche conformations along the chain as a function of the total number of atoms in the chain, using general equations, is presented. A graphical method for generating individual rotamers was applied to the homologs up to decane, which has 1134 rotamers. The steric energies calculated by molecular mechanics (MM2 force field) were used as measures of the heat of formation for the coiled conformations relative to the anti conformer for each molecule, whereas the statistical entropy differences were calculated for classes of coiled rotamers grouped by the number of gauche bonds and steric energy. The free energy values calculated from these components show that already at 400 K hexane exists preferentially in conformations containing gauche bonds. For larger chains the free energy advantage for the coiled chains increases very steeply. The implications for the question of reactions of linear alkanes occurring on the surface or inside the channels of small- and medium-pore zeolites are briefly examined.
Additional Material:
2 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcc.540100410
