Dynamics of Doubly Ionized OCS Molecules and Hidden Reaction Pathways

Abstract

The global reaction route mapping (GRRM) strategy enables an exhaustive search of static chemical reaction pathways, providing deep insight into chemical reactions. On the other hand, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations explicitly account for the momenta of atoms, revealing the realistic dynamical motion of molecules. In this study, we constructed the reaction path network for the ground-state OCS²⁺ species, which has attracted significant interest from spectroscopists. Recently, a new dissociation mechanism of S⁺via the COS²⁺ isomer has been proposed. By referencing the results of AIMD simulations and focusing on the isomerization process, we emphasize the crucial role of dynamical effects and the concept of dynamically hidden reaction paths.