Organic peroxides are interesting compounds with a broad range of properties from antimalarial and antimicrobial activities to explosive character. In this work the gas-phase thermolysis reaction mechanism of the 3,6-dimethyl-1,2,4,5-tetroxane (DMT) is studied by DFT calculations, considering axial-axial, axial-equatorial, and equatorial-equatorial position isomers. The critical points of the singlet (S) and triplet (T) potential energy surfaces (PES) are calculated. Three mechanisms are considered: i) S-concerted, ii) S-stepwise, and iii) T-stepwise. The first intermediate of the reaction through S-stepwise-PES is a diradical open structure, o, yielding, as products, two molecules of acetaldehyde and one of O2 in the S state. The S-stepwise-mechanism gives exothermic reaction energies (Er) in the three position isomers. The S-concerted mechanism yields very high activation energies (Ea) in comparison with those of the S-stepwise mechanism. In the T-stepwise mechanism, a triplet open structure (T-o) is first considered, yielding an Er 12 kcal mol-1 more exothermic than that of the S-mechanisms. The S-o and T-o are similar in structure and energies; therefore, a crossing from the S- to T-PES is produced at the o intermediate as a consequence of a spin-orbit coupling. The highest Ea is the first step after o intermediate, and thus it is considered the rate limiting step. Therefore, the Er at the T-PES is more in agreement with the Er of the exothermic experimental diperoxide products. Ea, Er, and O···O distances are studied as a function of the number of methyl groups and the position isomerization.
Keywords: 3,6-dimethyl-1,2,4,5-tetroxane; DFT; Gas-phase thermolysis reaction; Methyl position isomers; Methyl substitution effect; Potential energy surfaces; Reaction mechanisms.