Experimentally Delineating the Catalytic Effect of a Single Water Molecule in the Photochemical Rearrangement of the Phenylperoxy Radical to the Oxepin-2(5H)-one-5-yl Radical

Catalysis plays a pivotal role in both chemistry and biology, primarily attributed to its ability to stabilize transition states and lower activation free energies, thereby accelerating reaction rates. While computational studies have contributed valuable mechanistic insights, there remains a scarcity of experimental investigations into transition states. In this work, we embark on an experimental exploration of the catalytic energy lowering associated with transition states in the photo-rearrangement of the phenylperoxy radical-water complex to the oxepin-2(5H)-one-5-yl radical. Employing matrix isolation spectroscopy, density functional theory (DFT), and post-HF computations, we scrutinize the (photo)catalytic impact of a single water molecule on the rearrangement. Our computations indicate that the barrier heights for the water-assisted unimolecular isomerization steps are approximately 2–3 kcal mol–1 lower compared to the uncatalyzed steps. This decrease directly coincides with the difference in the required wavelength during the transformation (Δλ = λ579nm – λ546nm ~ 3 kcal mol–1)), allowing us to elucidate the transition state energy in the photochemical rearrangement of the phenylperoxy radical catalyzed by a single water molecule. Our work highlights the important role of water catalysis and has, amongst others, implications for understanding the mechanism of organic reactions under atmospheric conditions.