Molecular Orbital Calculations on the PÐS Bond Cleavage Step in the Hydroperoxidolysis of Nerve Agent VX

The P—S bond cleavage process in the hydroperoxidolysis of a model system for the nerve agent VX was studied using ab initio and semiempirical molecular orbital methods. Aqueous solvation effects were included through single-point calculations using the semiempirical SM5.2PD/A continuum solvation model and geometries optimized at the HF/MIDI! level of theory. The predominant pathway for P—S bond cleavage involves pseudorotation of a low-energy trigonal bipyramidal intermediate followed by apical ligand ejection. In aqueous solution, the free energy barriers for these processes are found to be 14.3 and 4.6 kcalmol, respectively, with electronic energies calculated at the MP2/cc-pVDZ//HF/MIDI! level of theory. By comparison with another continuum model of solvation (PCM), it is concluded that the SM5.2PD/A model performs well even for hypervalent phosphorus species, in spite of not having included any such molecules in the model’s parameterization set.  1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.