Lindemann mechanism
The Lindemann mechanism is a foundational model in chemical kinetics for describing unimolecular gas-phase reactions, such as decompositions or isomerizations, where a reactant molecule (A) is first activated through a bimolecular collision with another molecule (often denoted as M, which may be A itself) to form an energized intermediate (A*), followed by the unimolecular decomposition of A* into products.[1] Proposed by Frederick A. Lindemann in 1922, this mechanism resolves the apparent paradox of how reactions that appear first-order in the reactant can actually depend on bimolecular activation steps at low pressures.[2] The mechanism consists of three elementary steps: (1) activation, A + M ⇌ A* + M (forward rate constant k_1, reverse k_{-1}); and (2) reaction, A* → products (rate constant k_2)./15:_Chemical_Kinetics_II-_Reaction_Mechanisms/15.04:_The_Lindemann_Mechanism) Applying the steady-state approximation to the intermediate A* yields the overall rate law: \text{rate} = \frac{k_1 k_2 [A][M]}{k_{-1}[M] + k_2}, which simplifies to second-order kinetics (first-order in [A] and [M]) at low pressures where k_{-1}[M] \ll k_2, and first-order kinetics (independent of [M]) at high pressures where k_{-1}[M] \gg k_2.[3] This pressure-dependent behavior, known as the fall-off regime, is captured by the effective rate constant k = k_\infty \frac{[M]}{[M] + P}, where k_\infty = \frac{k_1 k_2}{k_{-1}} is the high-pressure limit and P relates to the pressure at which the transition occurs./15:_Chemical_Kinetics_II-_Reaction_Mechanisms/15.04:_The_Lindemann_Mechanism) Historically, Lindemann's idea was independently developed by J.A. Christiansen around the same time and later refined by Cyril Hinshelwood in 1926, leading to the Lindemann-Hinshelwood mechanism, which incorporated more detailed considerations of energy distribution.[2] The model was pivotal in shifting understanding from classical collision theory to statistical theories of unimolecular reactions, influencing subsequent developments like the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) theory./15:_Chemical_Kinetics_II-_Reaction_Mechanisms/15.04:_The_Lindemann_Mechanism) Its significance lies in explaining experimental observations, such as the decomposition of N₂O₅ or cyclobutane, where rate constants decrease with falling pressure due to insufficient collisional activation.[3] Quantum-mechanical extensions, such as those using density operators, have further validated and expanded the mechanism's predictions for thermal unimolecular breakdowns.[2]Introduction and History
Development of the Mechanism
The Lindemann mechanism was first proposed by Frederick Lindemann in 1921 during a discussion on the radiation theory of chemical action, where he introduced the idea of collisional activation for unimolecular reactions. Independently, J. A. Christiansen advanced a similar concept in his 1921 PhD thesis at the University of Copenhagen, emphasizing the role of collisions in energizing molecules. Cyril Hinshelwood further refined the mechanism in the mid-1920s, incorporating considerations of energy distribution among molecular degrees of freedom to better align with experimental observations. The primary motivation for the mechanism arose from the need to reconcile observed first-order kinetics in unimolecular gas-phase reactions at high pressures with the second-order pressure dependence predicted by simple collision theory, which suggested that reaction rates should scale with molecular concentration for activation. This discrepancy highlighted the limitations of earlier models, such as the radiation hypothesis, in explaining how isolated molecules could acquire sufficient energy for decomposition without direct bimolecular interactions. Early experimental studies in the 1920s provided critical context, revealing pressure-dependent rate behaviors in reactions presumed to be unimolecular, such as the pyrolysis of azomethane, where rates transitioned from first-order at higher pressures to second-order at lower pressures. These findings underscored the importance of collisional processes in activation. The original schematic of the mechanism involved a reactant molecule A colliding with any molecule M to form an energized intermediate A*, reversible by deactivation:\ce{A + M ⇌[k_1][k_{-1}] A^* + M}
followed by the decomposition of A* into products:
\ce{A^* ->[k_2] products}