The use of transition-state theory to extrapolate rate coefficients for reactions of H atoms with alkanes

The thermochemical kinetics formulation of conventional transition state theory has been applied to metathesis reactions of H atoms with a series of alkanes in order to provide a sound framework for the intercomparison of experimental data, and also to extrapolate rate coefficients to temperature regimes that may lie beyond the range of experiments. The calculations require a value for the rate coefficient at some temperature, necessitating a discussion of the extant experimental data and their reliability. The procedures are described, the results of the calculations are presented, and their agreement with experimental data (for methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, isobutane, cyclopropane, cyclohexane, neopentane, neooctane, and 2,2,3-trimethylbutane) is discussed. A general expression for reactions of H with large (more than 4 carbons) alkanes is proposed: where n_p, n_s, and n_t are the numbers of primary, secondary, and tertiary H atoms available for abstraction.     

Determination of the gas-phase reactivity of hydroxyl with chlorinated methanes at high temperature: Effects of laser/thermal photochemistry

Atmospheric pressure absolute rate coefficients have been determined for the gas phase reaction of OH radicals with methyl chloride (k₁), methylene chloride (k₂), and chloroform (k₃) over an extended temperature range using a laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence technique. The rate coefficients are best described by the following modified Arrhenius equations: Measurements were obtained as a function of excimer photolysis intensity and are compared with previous results and extended to higher temperatures. Photolysis intensities in excess of 12 mJ-cm^?2 were found to measurably increase (up to a factor of 2) the rate coefficients for k₃ between 400–775 K, with the effect increasing with increasing temperature. A similar, yet much smaller (ca. 20–35%) increase was observed for k₂ between 675–955 K. No effect was observed for k₁ at any temperature. Relative absorption coefficient measurements at 193.3 nm indicated that chlorinated methane photolysis increases with both increasing temperature and increasing chlorine substitution. These measurements suggest that reactant photolysis may be responsible for the observed dependence of k₂ and k₃ on photolysis intensity at elevated temperatures. The puzzling and disconcerting discrepancy between previously published high temperature measurements of k₃ and transition state model predictions is reconciled with these latest measurements. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A kinetic and mechanistic study of the formation of alkyl nitrates in the photo-oxidation of n-heptane studied under atmospheric conditions

The photo-oxidation of n-heptane in synthetic air containing methyl nitrite and nitric oxide has been ivestigated in an atmospheric flow reactor. By measuring the total yields of heptyl nitrate products, relative to the depletion of the n-heptane, the rate constant ratio, k_3b/k_3a has been determined for the reactions: (1) Over the temperature range 253–325 K and at a total pressure of 730 Torr, the following relative Arrhenius equation has been obtained from the present study together with literature data: These results confirm that the formation of alkyl nitrates from the photo-oxidation of n-alkanes arise from a primary reaction between the alkylperoxy radicals and nitric oxide. Furthermore the present experiments show that the lifetime of the intermediate in this type of reaction, presumed to be an alkyl peroxynitrite, ROONO, must be less than a few seconds.     

A shock tube study of the OH + OH → H2O + O reaction

The rate coefficient for the reaction has been determined in mixtures of nitric acid (HNO₃) and argon in incident shock wave experiments. Quantitative OH time-histories were obtained by cw narrow-linewidth uv laser absorption of the R₁(5) line of the A² σ⁺ ← X² Π_i (0,0) transition at 32606.56 cm^?1 (vacuum). The experiments were conducted over the temperature range 1050–2380 K and the pressure range 0.18–0.60 atm. The second-order rate coefficient was determined to be with overall uncertainties of +11%, ?16% at high temperatures and +25%, ?22% at low temperatures. By incorporating data from previous investigations in the temperature range 298–578 K, the following expression is determined for the temperature range 298–2380 K © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Lewis acid‐base properties of cellulose acetate butyrate by inverse gas chromatography

The dispersive component of the surface‐free energy, , of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) has been determined using the net retention volume, V_N, of n‐alkanes (C₅? C₈) probes in the temperature range 323.15–393.15 K. The values decrease nonlinearly with increase in temperature, and the temperature coefficients of are ? 0.32 (mJ/m²K) and ? 0.10 (mJ/m²K) in the range 323.15–353.15 K and 353.15–393.15 K, respectively. This variation in has been attributed to the structural changes that take place on the surface of CAB at ～353.15 K. The specific components of the enthalpy of adsorption, , and entropy of adsorption, , calculated using V_N of polar solutes are negative. The values are used to evaluate Lewis acidity constant, K_a, and Lewis basicity constant, K_b, for the CAB surface. The K_a and K_b values are found to be 0.126 and 1.109, respectively, which suggest that the surface is predominantly basic. The K_a and K_b results indicate for the necessary surface modifications of CAB which act as biodegradable adsorbent material. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of Crack Temperature on the Pyrolysis of Ethane in Shock Tubes

Accepting a previously proposed mechanism of ethane pyrolysis in shock tubes, experimental product distributions observed by Burcat et al. have been used, through computer simulation technique, to measure rate constants of following reactions in the temperature range 1206–1386°K. Obtained k₂values are substantially higher than the extrapolation from an Arrhenius equation reported for the same rate constant at low temperatures. Rate constant k₂ is found decreasing with the system temperature at 6.3 atm of argon.     

The kinetics of dimerization of chlorotrifluoroethene

Rate constants determined for the thermal dimerization of chlorotrifluoroethene to dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane at 404–672 K have been correlated with previously published results. For the temperature range of 404–800 K, The dependence of the preexponential factor on temperature corresponds to a value of 17 J/K·mol for the difference in heat capacity (ΔC_p^±) between the activation complex and the reactant.     

A kinetics study of the temperature dependence of the reactions of OH(2Π) with CF3CHCl2, CF3CHClF,and CF2ClCH2Cl

The flash photolysis resonance fluorescence technique has been utilized to determine the rate constants for three reactions involving the hydroxyl radical [OH(²?)] and three halogenated C₂ alkanes. The nominal temperature range covered was 250–375 K. The compounds studied and the resulting Arrhenius expressions in units of cm³/molec·sec are The error limits in these expressions are such that they include any possible systematic errors due to the presence of impurities in the halocarbon samples. Tropospheric lifetimes have been calculated for the above species by combining the above rate constant data with global seasonally and diurnally averaged hydroxyl radical concentrations.     

A pyrolysis mechanism for ammonia

The mechanism of NH₃ pyrolysis was investigated over a wide range of conditions behind reflected shock waves. Quantitative time-history measurements of the species NH and NH₂ were made using narrow-linewidth laser absorption. These records were used to establish an improved model mechanism for ammonia pyrolysis. The risetime and peak concentrations of NH and NH₂ in this experimental database have also been summarized graphically. Rate coefficients for several reactions which influence the NH and NH₂ profiles were fitted in the temperature range 2200 K to 2800 K. The reaction and the corresponding best fit rate coefficients are as follows: with a rate coefficient of 4.0 × 10¹³ exp(?3650/RT) cm³ mol^?1 s^?1, with a rate coefficient of 1.5 × 10¹⁵T^?0.5 cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 and with a rate coefficient of 5.0 × 10¹³ exp(?10000/RT) cm³ mol^?1 s^?1. The uncertainty in rate coefficient magnitude in each case is estimated to be ±50%. The temperature dependences of these rate coefficients are based on previous estimates. The experimental data from four earlier measurements of the dissociation reaction were reanalyzed in light of recent data for the rate of NH₃ + H → NH₂1 + H₂, and an improved rate coefficient of 2.2 × 10¹⁶ exp(?93470/RT) cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 in the temperature range 1740 to 3300 K was obtained. The uncertainty in the rate coefficient magnitude is estimated to be ± 15%.     

Laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence studies of reaction rates of OH with CH3Cl,CH2Cl2, and CHCl3 over an extended temperature range

A modified laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence technique has been used to measure atmospheric pressure absolute rate coefficients for the reaction of hydroxyl (OH) radicals with the chlorinated methanes (CH₃Cl, CH₂Cl₂, and CHCl₃). Data have been obtained for these compounds over the widest temperature range (292–800 K) that has been reported in the literature using a single experimental apparatus. The temperature dependence of the rate data is best represented by the following three-parameter expressions: Uncertainties in the pre-exponential and exponential term are expressed as 95% confidence intervals. For the temperature exponent, error limits represent a ±10% change in the total error of best fit. The degree of curvature in the Arrhenius plots appeared to increase with increasing Cl substitution of the reactant. However, the uncertainty in the temperature exponent for the CH₃Cl data was large in comparison with the other chlorinated methanes. Thus, data of greater precision at elevated temperatures are necessary to further explore this relationship. The rate coefficients were compared with recent semiempirical and transition state theory models for haloalkane-OH hydrogen transfer reactions over a temperature range of 250–800 K. The transition state model of Cohen and Benson was in excellent agreement with the CH₃Cl and CH₂Cl₂ data. The semiempirical structure activity relationship developed by Atkinson represented the best fit of the CHCl₃ data, although it underestimated the experimental data by more than a factor of 2 at 800 K. The extreme care used to remove and alayze for reactive impurities along with the agreement with other experimental studies suggests that transition state and semi-empirical models for CHCl₃ must be modified to account its reaction behavior at high temperature.     

High-temperature kinetics of the reactions of SO2 and SO3 with atomic oxygen

A nozzle-beam-skimmer sampling system is used to measure species concentration profiles for a lean one-dimensional premixed CO? O₂? Ar flame, into which small amounts of sulfur dioxide are introduced. The net formation rate for sulfur trioxide is obtained from the flux fraction profile for this species. The kinetic scheme is then utilized, along with the measured temperature profiles, to evaluate the rate coefficients k₁ and k₂ over the temperature range of 1435–1850 K. The most satisfactory agreement between the measured net formation rate for SO₃ and that calculated on the basis of reactions (1) and (2) is obtained with the rate coefficients Reactions (1) and (2) are found to be nearly balanced in a substantial region of the flame. Here the data are more sensitive to the difference in activation energies, as opposed to a particular value for either. Implications of this observation on the uncertainty of the deduced temperature dependence for each reaction are discussed, as are some of the procedures used in the data analysis.     

Decomposition of the t-butoxy radical: II. Studies over the temperature range 303—393 K

The near U-V photolysis of t-butyl nitrite has been studied over the temperature range 303–393 K. Under these conditions t-butyl nitrite was shown to be a very clean photochemical source of t-butoxy radicals. This allows a study of the decomposition of the t-butoxy radical to be made over this temperature range (3). (1) Extrapolation of the rate constants k₃ to high pressure and combination with our previous thermal data give the results:      

High temperature determination of the rate coefficient for the reaction H2O + CN → HCN + OH

The rate coefficient, k, of the reaction has been determined in the temperature range 2460–2840 K using a shock tube technique. C₂N₂? H₂O? Ar mixtures were heated behind incident shock waves and the CN and OH concentration time histories were monitored simultaneously using broad-band absorption near 388 nm (CN) and narrow-line laser absorption at 306.67 nm (OH). The rate coefficient expression providing the best fit to the data was with uncertainty limits of about ±45% in the temperature range 2460–2840 K. The rate coefficient of the reverse reaction was calculated using detailed balancing, and its extrapolation to lower temperatures was compared with previously published results.     

The gas phase reactions of hydroxyl radicals with a series of aliphatic ethers over the temperature range 240–440 K

Absolute rate constants were determined for the gas phase reactions of OH radicals with a series of linear aliphatic ethers using the flash photolysis resonance fluorescence technique. Experiments were performed over the temperature range 240–440 K at total pressures (using Ar diluent gas) between 25–50 Torr. The kinetic data for dimethylether (k₁), diethylether (k₂), and dipropylether (k₃) were used to derive the Arrhenius expressions and At 296 K, the measured rate constants (in units of 10^?13 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) were: k₁ = (24.9 ± 2.2), k₂ = (136 ± 9), and k₃ = (180 ± 22). Room temperature rate constants for the OH reactions with several other aliphatic ethers were also measured. These were (in the above units): di-n-butylether, (278 ± 36); di-n-pentylether, (347 ± 20); ethyleneoxide, (0.95 ± 0.05); propyleneoxide, (4.95 ± 0.52); and tetrahydrofuran, (178 ± 16). The results are discussed in terms of the mechanisms for these reactions and are compared to previous literature data.     

The reaction of cyclohexyl radicals with carbon tetrachloride

The photolysis of azocyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, and cyclohexane at 360 nm has been investigated over a wide temperature range. At moderate temperatures a chain reaction ensues from which the following approximate rate constants could be determined assuming 2CCl₃. → C₂Cl₆, k₅ = 10^9.7 (303–673K): The really striking feature of the results is that they show that termination in bicyclohexyl [reaction (7)] is extremely slow: The root-mean-square rule for estimating the cross-combination rate is also followed. The photolysis of carbon tetrachloride and cyclohexane at 250 nm has also been investigated. The reaction is complicated by the occurrence of two concurrent photolytic processes, the main one yielding trichloromethyl radicals and chlorine atoms, and the subsidiary one yielding dichlorocarbene and molecular chlorine. Nonetheless the results from this reaction can be interpreted in the medium temperature range 360–430K, where long chains are present, in terms of the rate constants derived from the azocyclohexane system.     

Arrhenius parameters for the hydrogen abstraction from ammonia by CF3 radicals

The reaction of CF₃ radicals with NH₃ has been studied over a wide temperature range 298–673 K, using the photolysis and the thermal decomposition of CF₃I as the free radical source. It was found that the reaction could not be explained in terms of a simple mechanism in the whole temperature range because a marked pressure dependence on the rate of products formation and the presence of a dark reaction complicate the system at low temperatures. Thus, Arrhenius parameters for reaction (1) have been calculated relative to the CF₃ recombination from data in the range 523–673 K where pure hydrogen transfer occurs. The rate constant expression is given by where k_H/k is in units of cm^3/2/mol^1/2 s^1/2 and θ = 2.303 RT/kJ/mol.     

Rate constants and kinetic isotope effects for hydrogen/deuterium abstraction by chlorine atoms from the chloromethyl group in CH2ClCH2Cl,CD2ClCD2Cl,CH2ClCHCl2, and CH2ClCDCl2

The abstraction of hydrogen and deuterium from 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, and two of their deuterated analogs by photochemically generated ground state chlorine atoms has been investigatedin the temperature range 0–95°C using methane as a competitor. Rate constants and their temperature coefficients are reported for the following reactions Over the temperature range of this investigation an Arrhenius law temperature dependence was observed in all cases. Based on the adopted rate coefficient for the chlorination of methane [L.F. Keyser, J. Chem. Phys., 69 , 214 (1978)] which is commensurate with the present temperature range, the following rate constant values (cm³ s^?1) are obtained: The observed pure primary, and mixed primary plus α- and β3-secondary kinetic isotope effects at 298 K are k₃/k₆ = 2.73 ± 0.08, and k₁/k₂ = 4.26 ± 0.12, respectively. Both show a normal temperature dependence decreasing to k₃/k₆ = 2.39 ± 0.06 and k₁/k₂ = 3.56 ± 0.09 at 370 K. Contrary to some simple theoretical expectations, the kinetic isotope effect for H/D abstraction decreases with increasing number of chlorine substituents in the geminal group in a parallel manner to the trend established previously for C1-substitution in the adjacent group. The occurrence of a β-secondary isotope effect, k₄/k₅, is established; this effect suggests a slight inverse temperature dependence.     

The rate constant for the intramolecular isomerization of pentyl radicals

The thermal decomposition of n-pentane has been investigated in the temperature range 737 to 923 K. Making various assumptions, the detailed distribution of major products (methane, ethane, ethene, propene, and 1-butene) is used to evaluate the rate constant for the unimolecular isomerization which proceeds via a five-membered, cyclic transition state. Two alternative sets of assumptions are used. Common to both of them are assumptions concerning the thermochemistry and rate constants for decomposition of the C₅H₁₁ radicals. Method 1 assumes that all secondary C? H bonds are equally reactive towards hydrogen abstraction in which case, in addition to the value of ??₁₀, the ratio of the rate constants for abstraction from primary and secondary C? H bonds is evaluated. Values about a factor of two higher than published values for similar molecules are obtained. The alternative, method 2, assumes that the ratio of abstraction from the 1- and 2- positions of n?pentane is the same as that published for n?butane, in which case, in addition to the value of ??₁₀, the ratio of the rates of abstraction from the 3- and 2- positions of n-pentane is obtained. The value obtained is 0.401 which is to be compared with the statistically expected (and assumed in method 1) 0.5. Detailed discussions of the values of ??₁₀ obtained leads to the conclusion that method 1 leads to the best value where θ = 2.303RT in kcal/mol and error limits are two standard deviations. Combination of this value with values recalculated from published lower temperature data gives which, it is concluded, is the best value in the range 438 to 923 K.     

The mechanism and rate parameters for the pyrolysis of n-hexane in the range 723–823 K

The pyrolysis of n-hexane has been investigated in the ranges 723–823 K and 10–100 Torr at up to 3% decomposition. The reaction is homogeneous and free from the self-inhibition by olefin products observed for several other alkanes. The products of the reaction are hydrogen, methane, ethane, ethene, propene, but-1-ene, and pent-1-ene, with smaller amounts of propane. It is shown that the results are in quantitative agreement with a conventional Rice-Herzfeld chain mechanism terminated by the combination and disproportionation of ethyl radicals, but with the mechanism extended so as to include the unimolecular isomerizations via a six-membered cyclic transition state between 1-hexyl and 2-hexyl (1-methylpentyl) radicals. The overall rate constant of initiation is estimated to be given by The rate constant for the reaction is given by which when combined with published data gives an Arrhenius plot curved upwards at low values of 1/T as has been observed for several other hydrogen abstraction reactions of methyl and of ethyl. Estimates are made of rate constants and ratios of rate constants for several reactions of the free radicals involved in the reaction. It is suggested that the minor product propane arises mainly from a hydrogen abstraction by 1-propyl from hexane with a contribution from a minor termination process involving ethyl and methyl.