On the possible catalysis by single water molecules of gas-phase hydrogen abstraction reactions by OH radicals
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Updated: May 19, 2026

Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics
Published on: April 12, 2019
Ditte Linde Thomsen1, Theo Kurtén, Solvejg Jørgensen
1Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Abstract:
The gas phase hydrogen abstraction reaction between OH and CY(2)XH, where X = H, F, OH, or NH(2) and Y = H, CH(3) or F, in the absence and presence of a single water molecule is investigated using both density function theory, B3LYP, and explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory, CCSD(T)-F12. We find that a single water molecule could have a catalytic effect at low temperatures possible in laboratory experiments, but does not seem to catalyze these reactions at 298 K, and will not play a role under relevant atmospheric conditions.
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