Reflected shock tube studies of high-temperature rate constants for OH + CH4 --> CH3 + H2O and CH3 + NO2 --> CH3O + NO

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection of OH radicals at 308 nm has been used to study the reactions OH + CH(4) --> CH(3) + H(2)O and CH(3) + NO(2) --> CH(3)O + NO. Over the temperature range 840-2025 K, the rate constants for the first reaction can be represented by the Arrhenius expression k = (9.52 +/- 1.62) x 10(-11) exp[(-4134 +/- 222 K)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Since this reaction is important in both combustion and atmospheric chemistry, there have been many prior investigations with a variety of techniques. The present results extend the temperature range by 500 K and have been combined with the most accurate earlier studies to derive an evaluation over the extended temperature range 195-2025 K. A three-parameter expression describes the rate behavior over this temperature range, k = (1.66 x 10(-18))T(2.182) exp[(-1231 K)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Previous theoretical studies are discussed, and the present evaluation is compared to earlier theoretical estimates. Since CH(3) radicals are a product of the reaction and could cause secondary perturbations in rate constant determinations, the second reaction was studied by OH radical production from the fast reactions CH(3)O --> CH(2)O + H and H + NO(2) --> OH + NO. The measured rate constant is 2.26 x 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) and is not dependent on temperature from 233 to 1700 K within experimental error.     

Reflected shock tube studies of high-temperature rate constants for CH3 + O2, H2CO + O2, and OH + O2

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection of OH-radicals at 308 nm, corresponding to a total path length of approximately 2.8 m, has been used to study the reaction CH3 + O2 CH2O + OH. Experiments were performed between 1303 and 2272 K, using ppm quantities of CH3I (methyl source) and 5-10% O2, diluted with Kr as the bath gas at test pressures less than 1 atm. We have also reanalyzed our earlier ARAS measurements for the atomic channel (CH3 + O2 --> CH3O + O) and have compared both these results with other earlier studies to derive a rate expression of the Arrhenius form. The derived expressions, in units of cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), are k = 3.11 x 10(-13) exp(-4953 K/T) over the T-range 1237-2430 K, for the OH-channel, and k = 1.253 x 10(-11) exp(-14241 K/T) over the T-range 1250-2430 K, for the O-atom channel. Since CH2O is a major product in both reactions, reliable rates for the reaction CH2O + O2 --> HCO + HO2 could be derived from [OH]t and [O]t experiments over the T-range 1587-2109 K. The combined linear least-squares fit result, k = 1.34 x 10(-8) exp(-26883 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), and a recent VTST calculation clearly overlap within the uncertainties in both studies. Finally, a high sensitivity for the reaction OH + O2 --> HO2 + O was noted at high temperature in the O-atom data set simulations. The values for this obtained by fitting the O-atom data sets at later times (approximately 1.2 ms) again follow the Arrhenius form, k = 2.56 x 10(-10) exp(-24145 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), over the T-range, 1950-2100 K.     

Thermal decomposition of CF3 and the reaction of CF2 + OH --> CF2O + H

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection (at a total path length of approximately 1.75 m) of OH-radicals at 308 nm has been used to study the dissociation of CF3-radicals [CF3 + Kr --> CF2 + F + Kr (a)] between 1,803 and 2,204 K at three pressures between approximately 230 and 680 Torr. The OH-radical concentration buildup resulted from the fast reaction F + H2O --> OH + HF (b). Hence, OH is a marker for F-atoms. To extract rate constants for reaction (a), the [OH] profiles were modeled with a chemical mechanism. The initial rise in [OH] was mostly sensitive to reactions (a) and (b), but the long time values were additionally affected by CF2 + OH --> CF2O + H (c). Over the experimental temperature range, rate constants for (a) and (c) were determined from the mechanistic fits to be kCF3+Kr = 4.61 x 10-9 exp(-30,020 K/T) and kCF2+OH = (1.6 +/- 0.6) x 10-10, both in units of cm3 molecule-1 s-1. Reaction (a), its reverse recombination reaction reaction (-a), and reaction (c) are also studied theoretically. Reactions (c) and (-a) are studied with direct CASPT2 variable reaction coordinate transition state theory. A master equation analysis for reaction (a) incorporating the ab initio determined reactive flux for reaction (-a) suggests that this reaction is close to but not quite in the low-pressure limit for the pressures studied experimentally. In contrast, reaction (c) is predicted to be in the high-pressure limit due to the high exothermicity of the products. A comparison with past and present experimental results demonstrates good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the present data for both (a) and (c).     

Reflected shock tube studies of high-temperature rate constants for OH + NO2 --> HO2 + NO and OH + HO2 --> H2O + O2

The motivation for the present study comes from the preceding paper where it is suggested that accepted rate constants for OH + NO2 --> NO + HO2 are high by approximately 2. This conclusion was based on a reevaluation of heats of formation for HO2, OH, NO, and NO2 using the Active Thermochemical Table (ATcT) approach. The present experiments were performed in C2H5I/NO2 mixtures, using the reflected shock tube technique and OH-radical electronic absorption detection (at 308 nm) and using a multipass optical system. Time-dependent profile decays were fitted with a 23-step mechanism, but only OH + NO2, OH + HO2, both HO2 and NO2 dissociations, and the atom molecule reactions, O + NO2 and O + C2H4, contributed to the decay profile. Since all of the reactions except the first two are known with good accuracy, the profiles were fitted by varying only OH + NO2 and OH + HO2. The new ATcT approach was used to evaluate equilibrium constants so that back reactions were accurately taken into account. The combined rate constant from the present work and earlier work by Glaenzer and Troe (GT) is k(OH+NO2) = 2.25 x 10(-11) exp(-3831 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), which is a factor of 2 lower than the extrapolated direct value from Howard but agrees well with NO + HO2 --> OH + NO2 transformed with the updated equilibrium constants. Also, the rate constant for OH + HO2 suitable for combustion modeling applications over the T range (1200-1700 K) is (5 +/- 3) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). Finally, simulating previous experimental results of GT using our updated mechanism, we suggest a constant rate for k(HO2+NO2) = (2.2 +/- 0.7) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) over the T range 1350-1760 K.     

CH(A2Delta) Formation in hydrocarbon combustion: the temperature dependence of the rate constant of the reaction C2H + O2--> CH(A2Delta) + CO2

The temperature dependence of the rate constant of the chemiluminescence reaction C2H + O2 --> CH(A) + CO2, k1e, has been experimentally determined over the temperature range 316-837 K using pulsed laser photolysis techniques. The rate constant was found to have a pronounced positive temperature dependence given by k1e(T) = AT(4.4) exp(1150 +/- 150/T), where A = 1 x 10(-27) cm(3) s(-1). The preexponential factor for k1e, A, which is known only to within an order of magnitude, is based on a revised expression for the rate constant for the C2H + O(3P) --> CH(A) + CO reaction, k2b, of (1.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(-11) exp(-230 K/T) cm3 s(-1) [Devriendt, K.; Van Look, H.; Ceursters, B.; Peeters, J. Chem. Phys. Lett. 1996, 261, 450] and a k2b/k1e determination of this work of 1200 +/- 500 at 295 K. Using the temperature dependence of the rate constant k1e(T)/k1e(300 K), which is much more accurately and precisely determined than is A, we predict an increase in k(1e) of a factor 60 +/- 16 between 300 and 1500 K. The ratio of rate constants k2b/k1e is predicted to change from 1200 +/- 500 at 295 K to 40 +/- 25 at 1500 K. These results suggest that the reaction C2H + O2 --> CH(A) + CO2 contributes significantly to CH(A-->X) chemiluminescence in hot flames and especially under fuel-lean conditions where it probably dominates the reaction C2H + O(3P) --> CH(A) + CO.     

Reflected shock tube and theoretical studies of high-temperature rate constants for OH+CF3H<-->CF3+H2O and CF3+OH-->products

The reflected shock tube technique with multipass absorption spectrometric detection of OH radicals at 308 nm, using either 36 or 60 optical passes corresponding to total path lengths of 3.25 or 5.25 m, respectively, has been used to study the bimolecular reactions, OH+CF3H-->CF3+H2O (1) and CF3+H2O-->OH+CF3H (-1), between 995 and 1663 K. During the course of the study, estimates of rate constants for CF3+OH-->products (2) could also be determined. Experiments on reaction -1 were transformed through equilibrium constants to k1, giving the Arrhenius expression k1=(9.7+/-2.1)x10(-12) exp(-4398+/-275K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). Over the temperature range, 1318-1663 K, the results for reaction 2 were constant at k2=(1.5+/-0.4)x10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). Reactions 1 and -1 were also studied with variational transition state theory (VTST) employing QCISD(T) properties for the transition state. These a priori VTST predictions were in good agreement with the present experimental results but were too low at the lower temperatures of earlier experiments, suggesting that either the barrier height was overestimated by about 1.3 kcal/mol or that the effect of tunneling was greatly underestimated. The present experimental results have been combined with the most accurate earlier studies to derive an evaluation over the extended temperature range of 252-1663 K. The three parameter expression k1=2.08x10(-17) T1.5513 exp(-1848 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) describes the rate behavior over this temperature range. Alternatively, the expression k1,th=1.78x10(-23) T3.406 exp(-837 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) obtained from empirically adjusted VTST calculations over the 250-2250 K range agrees with the experimental evaluation to within a factor of 1.6. Reaction 2 was also studied with direct CASPT2 variable reaction coordinate transition state theory. The resulting predictions for the capture rate are found to be in good agreement with the mean of the experimental results and can be represented by the expression k2,th=2.42x10(-11) T-0.0650 exp(134 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) over the 200-2500 K temperature range. The products of this reaction are predicted to be CF2O+HF.     

Absolute rate coefficient of the OH + CH(3)C(O)OH reaction at T = 287-802 K. The two faces of pre-reactive H-bonding

The rate constants for the reaction OH + CH3C(O)OH --> products (1) were determined over the temperature range 287-802 K at 50 and 100 Torr of Ar or N2 bath gas using pulsed laser photolysis generation of OH by CH3C(O)OH photolysis at 193 nm coupled with OH detection by pulsed laser-induced fluorescence. The rate coefficient displays a complex temperature dependence with a sharp minimum at 530 K, indicating the competition between a reaction proceeding through a pre-reactive H-bonded complex to form CH3C(O)O + H2O, expected to prevail at low temperatures, and a direct methyl-H abstraction channel leading to CH2C(O)OH + H2O, which should dominate at high temperatures. The temperature dependence of the rate constant can be described adequately by k1(287-802 K) = 2.9 x 10(-9) exp{-6030 K/T} + 1.50 x 10(-13) exp{515 K/T} cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1), with a value of (8.5 +/- 0.9) x 10-13 cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1) at 298 K. The steep increase in rate constant in the range 550-800 K, which is reported for the first time, implies that direct abstraction of a methyl-H becomes the dominant pathway at temperatures greater than 550 K. However, the data indicates that up to about 800 K direct methyl-H abstraction remains adversely affected by the long-range H-bonding attraction between the approaching OH radical and the carboxyl -C(O)OH functionality.     

Kinetics and mechanisms of CF3CHFOCH3, CF3CHFOC(O)H, and FC(O)OCH3 reactions with OH radicals

The kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of CF3CHFOCH3 was studied using an 11.5-dm3 environmental reaction chamber. OH radicals were produced by UV photolysis of an O3-H2O-He mixture at an initial pressure of 200 Torr in the chamber. The rate constant of the reaction of CF3CHFOCH3 with OH radicals (k1) was determined to be (1.77 +/- 0.69) x 10(-12) exp[(-720 +/- 110)/T] cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1) by means of a relative rate method at 253-328 K. The mechanism of the reaction was investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy at 298 K. CF3CHFOC(O)H, FC(O)OCH3, and COF2 were determined to be the major products. The branching ratio (k1a/k1b) for the reactions CF3CHFOCH3 + OH --> CF3CHFOCH2* + H2O (k1a) and CF3CHFOCH3 + OH --> CF3CF*OCH3 + H2O (k1b) was estimated to be 4.2:1 at 298 K from the yields of CF3CHFOC(O)H, FC(O)OCH3, and COF2. The rate constants of the reactions of CF3CHFOC(O)H (k2) and FC(O)OCH3 (k3) with OH radicals were determined to be (9.14 +/- 2.78) x 10(-13) exp[(-1190 +/- 90)/T] and (2.10 +/- 0.65) x 10(-13) exp[(-630 +/- 90)/T] cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1), respectively, by means of a relative rate method at 253-328 K. The rate constants at 298 K were as follows: k1 = (1.56 +/- 0.06) x 10-13, k2 = (1.67 +/- 0.05) x 10-14, and k3 = (2.53 +/- 0.07) x 10-14 cm3 molecule(-1)(s-1). The tropospheric lifetimes of CF3CHFOCH3, CF3CHFOC(O)H, and FC(O)OCH3 with respect to reaction with OH radicals were estimated to be 0.29, 3.2, and 1.8 years, respectively.     

Reflected shock tube studies of high-temperature rate constants for OH + C2H2 and OH + C2H4

The reflected shock tube technique with multi-pass absorption spectrometric detection of OH-radicals at 308 nm (corresponding to a total path length of approximately 4.9 m) has been used to study the reactions, OH + C(2)H(2)--> products (1) and OH + C(2)H(4)--> C(2)H(3) + H(2)O (2). The present optical configuration gives a S/N ratio of approximately 1 at approximately 0.5-1.0 x 10(12) radicals cm(-3). Hence, kinetics experiments could be performed at [OH](0) = approximately 4-20 ppm thereby minimizing secondary reactions. OH was produced rapidly from the dissociations of either CH(3)OH or NH(2)OH (hydroxylamine). A mechanism was then used to obtain profile fits that agreed with the experiment to within <+/-5%. The derived Arrhenius expressions, in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) are: k(1) = (1.03 +/- 0.24) x 10(-10) exp(-7212 +/- 417 K/T) for 1509-2362 K and k(2) = (10.2 +/- 5.8) x 10(-10) exp(-7411 +/- 871 K/T) for 1463-1931 K. The present study is the first ever direct measurement for reaction (1) at temperatures >1275 K while the present results extend the temperature range for (2) by approximately 700 K. These values are compared with earlier determinations and with recent theoretical calculations. The calculations agree with the present data for both reactions to within +/-10% over the entire T-range.     

Theoretical study on the OH + CH3NHCOOCH3 reaction

The multiple-channel reactions OH + CH3NHC(O)OCH3 --> products are investigated by direct dynamics method. The optimized geometries, frequencies, and minimum energy path are all obtained at the MP2/6-311+G(d,p) level, and energetic information is further refined by the BMC-CCSD (single-point) method. The rate constants for every reaction channels, R1, R2, R3, and R4, are calculated by canonical variational transition state theory with small-curvature tunneling correction over the temperature range 200-1000 K. The total rate constants are in good agreement with the available experimental data and the two-parameter expression k(T) = 3.95 x 10(-12) exp(15.41/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) over the temperature range 200-1000 K is given. Our calculations indicate that hydrogen abstraction channels R1 and R2 are the major channels due to the smaller barrier height among four channels considered, and the other two channels to yield CH3NC(O)OCH3 + H2O and CH3NHC(O)(OH)OCH3 + H2O are minor channels over the whole temperature range.     

Kinetics of the CH2Cl + CH3 and CHCl2 + CH3 radical-radical reactions

The CH2Cl + CH3 (1) and CHCl2 + CH3 (2) cross-radical reactions were studied by laser photolysis/photoionization mass spectroscopy. Overall rate constants were obtained in direct real-time experiments in the temperature region 301-800 K and bath gas (helium) density (6-12) x 10(16) atom cm(-3). The observed rate constant of reaction 1 can be represented by an Arrhenius expression k1 = 3.93 x 10(-11) exp(91 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (+/-25%) or as an average temperature-independent value of k1= (4.8 +/- 0.7) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). The rate constant of reaction 2 can be expressed as k2= 1.66 x 10(-11) exp(359 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (+/-25%). C2H4 and C2H3Cl were detected as the primary products of reactions 1 and 2, respectively. The experimental values of the rate constant are in reasonable agreement with the prediction based on the "geometric mean rule." A separate experimental attempt to determine the rate constants of the high-temperature CH2Cl + O2 (10) and CHCl2 + O2 (11) reaction resulted in an upper limit of 1.2 x 10(-16) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) for k10 and k11 at 800 K.     

Falloff curves for the Reaction CH3 + O2 (+ M) --> CH3O2 (+ M) in the pressure range 2-1000 bar and the temperature range 300-700 K

The reaction CH(3) + O(2) (+M) --> CH(3)O(2) (+M) was studied in the bath gases Ar and N(2) in a high-temperature/high-pressure flow cell at pressures ranging from 2 to 1000 bar and at temperatures between 300 and 700 K. Methyl radicals were generated by laser flash photolysis of azomethane or acetone. Methylperoxy radicals were monitored by UV absorption at 240 nm. The falloff curves of the rate constants are represented by the simplified expression k/k(infinity) approximately [x/(1 + x)]F(cent)(1/{1+[(log)(x)/)(N)(]2}) with x = k(0)/k(infinity) F(cent) approximately 0.33, and N approximately 1.47, where k(0) and k(infinity) denote the limiting low and high-pressure rate constants, respectively. At low temperatures, 300-400 K, and pressures >300 bar, a fairly abrupt increase of the rate constants beyond the values given by the falloff expressions was observed. This effect is attributed to a contribution from the radical complex mechanism as was also observed in other recombination reactions of larger radicals. Equal limiting low-pressure rate constants k(0) = [M]7 x 10(-31)(T/300 K)(-3.0) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1) were fitted for M = Ar and N(2) whereas limiting high-pressure rate constants k(infinity) = 2.2 x 10(-12)(T/300 K)(0.9) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) were approached. These values are discussed in terms of unimolecular rate theory. It is concluded that a theoretical interpretation of the derived rate constants has to be postponed until better information of the potential energy surface is available. Preliminary theoretical evaluation suggests that there is an "anisotropy bottleneck" in the otherwise barrierless interaction potential between CH(3) and O(2).     

Shock-tube study of the thermal decomposition of CH3CHO and CH3CHO + H reaction

The thermal decomposition of acetaldehyde, CH3CHO + M --> CH3 + HCO + M (eq 1), and the reaction CH3CHO + H --> products (eq 6) have been studied behind reflected shock waves with argon as the bath gas and using H-atom resonance absorption spectrometry as the detection technique. To suppress consecutive bimolecular reactions, the initial concentrations were kept low (approximately 10(13) cm(-3)). Reaction was investigated at temperatures ranging from 1250 to 1650 K at pressures between 1 and 5 bar. The rate coefficients were determined from the initial slope of the hydrogen profile via k1 = [CH3CHO]0(-1) x d[H]/dt, and the temperature dependences observed can be expressed by the following Arrhenius equations: k1(T, 1.4 bar) = 2.9 x 10(14) exp(-38 120 K/T) s(-1), k1(T, 2.9 bar) = 2.8 x 10(14) exp(-37 170 K/T) s(-1), and k1(T, 4.5 bar) = 1.1 x 10(14) exp(-35 150 K/T) s(-1). Reaction was studied with C2H5I as the H-atom precursor under pseudo-first-order conditions with respect to CH3CHO in the temperature range 1040-1240 K at a pressure of 1.4 bar. For the temperature dependence of the rate coefficient the following Arrhenius equation was obtained: k6(T) = 2.6 x 10(-10) exp(-3470 K/T) cm(3) s(-1). Combining our results with low-temperature data published by other authors, we recommend the following expression for the temperature range 300-2000 K: k6(T) = 6.6 x 10(-18) (T/K) (2.15) exp(-800 K/T) cm(3) s(-1). The uncertainties of the rate coefficients k1 and k6 were estimated to be +/-30%.     

Direct dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reaction CH2O + HO2 --> CHO + H2O2

We present a direct ab initio dynamics study on the hydrogen abstraction reaction CH2O + HO2 --> CHO + H2O2, which is predicted to have four possible reaction channels caused by different attacking orientations of HO2 radical to CH2O. The structures and frequencies at the stationary points and the points along the minimum energy paths (MEPs) of the four reaction channels are calculated at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Energetic information of stationary points and the points along the MEPs is further refined by means of some single-point multilevel energy calculations (HL). The rate constants of these channels are calculated using the improved canonical variational transition-state theory with the small-curvature tunneling correction (ICVT/SCT) method. The calculated results show that, in the whole temperature range, the more favorable reaction channels are Channels 1 and 3. The total ICVT/SCT rate constants of the four channels at the HL//B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory are in good agreement with the available experiment data over the measured temperature ranges, and the corresponding three-parameter expression is k(ICVT/SCT) = 3.13 x 10(-20) T(2.70) exp(-11.52/RT) cm3 mole(-1) s(-1) in the temperature range of 250-3000 K. Additionally, the flexibility of the dihedral angle of H2O2 is also discussed to explain the different experimental values.     

Thermal decomposition of ethanol. III. A computational study of the kinetics and mechanism for the CH3+C2H5OH reaction

The mechanism for the CH3+C2H5OH reaction has been investigated by the modified Gaussian-2 method based on the geometric parameters of the stationary points optimized at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory. Five transition states have been identified for the production of CH4+CH3CHOH (TS1), CH4+CH3CH2O (TS2), CH4+CH2CH2OH (TS3), CH3OH+CH3CH2 (TS4), and CH3CH2OCH3+H (TS5) with the corresponding barriers 12.0, 13.2, 16.0, 44.7, and 49.9 kcal/mol, respectively. The predicted rate constants and branching ratios for the three lower-energy H-abstraction reactions were calculated using the conventional and variational transition state theory with quantum-mechanical tunneling corrections for the temperature range 300-3000 K. The predicted total rate constant, kt=8.36 x 10(-76) T(20.00) exp(5258/T) cm3 mol(-1) s(-1) (300-600 K) and 6.10 x 10(-25) T(4.10)exp(-4058/T) cm3 mol(-1) s(-1) (600-3000 K), agrees closely with existing experimental data in the temperature range 403-523 K. Similarly, the predicted rate constants for CH3+CH3CD2OH and CD3+C2H5OD are also in reasonable agreement with available low temperature kinetic data.     

Low-energy paths for the unimolecular decomposition of CH3OH: a G2M/statistical theory study

The potential energy surface (PES) of the CH3OH system has been characterized by ab initio molecular orbital theory calculations at the G2M level of theory. The mechanisms for the decomposition of CH3OH and the related bimolecular reactions, CH3 + OH and 1CH2 + H2O, have been elucidated. The rate constants for these processes have been calculated using variational RRKM theory and compared with available experimental data. The total decomposition rate constants of CH3OH at the high- and low-pressure limits can be represented by k infinity = 1.56 x 10(16) exp(-44,310/T) s-1 and kAr0 = 1.60 x 10(36) T-12.2 exp(-48,140/T) cm3 molecule-1 s-1, respectively, covering the temperature range 1000-3000 K, in reasonable agreement with the experimental values. Our results indicate that the product branching ratios are strongly pressure dependent, with the production of CH3 + OH and 1CH2 + H2O dominant under high (P > 10(3) Torr) and low (P < 1 atm) pressures, respectively. For the bimolecular reaction of CH3 and OH, the total rate constant and the yields of 1CH2 + H2O and H2 + HCOH at lower pressures (P < 5 Torr) could be reasonably accounted for by the theory. For the reaction of 1CH2 with H2O, both the yield of CH3 + OH and the total rate constant could also be satisfactorily predicted theoretically. The production of 3CH2 + H2O by the singlet to triplet surface crossing, predicted to occur at 4.3 kcal mol-1 above the H2C...OH2 van der Waals complex (which lies 82.7 kcal mol-1 above CH3OH), was neglected in our calculations.     

Kinetic study of the reactions of Cl atoms with CF3CH2CH2OH, CF3CF2CH2OH, CHF2CF2CH2OH, and CF3CHFCF2CH2OH

The reaction kinetics of chlorine atoms with a series of partially fluorinated straight-chain alcohols, CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH (1), CF(3)CF(2)CH(2)OH (2), CHF(2)CF(2)CH(2)OH (3), and CF(3)CHFCF(2)CH(2)OH (4), were studied in the gas phase over the temperature range of 273-363 K by using very low-pressure reactor mass spectrometry. The absolute rate coefficients were given by the expressions (in cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)): k(1) = (4.42 +/- 0.48) x 10(-11) exp(-255 +/- 20/T); k(1)(303) = (1.90 +/- 0.17) x 10(-11), k(2) = (2.23 +/- 0.31) x 10(-11) exp(-1065 +/- 106/ T); k(2)(303) = (6.78 +/- 0.63) x 10(-13), k(3) = (8.51 +/- 0.62) x 10(-12) exp(-681 +/- 72/T); k(3)(303) = (9.00 +/- 0.82) x 10(-13) and k(4) = (6.18 +/- 0.84) x 10(-12) exp(-736 +/- 42/T); k(4)(303) = (5.36 +/- 0.51) x 10(-13). The quoted 2sigma uncertainties include the systematic errors. All title reactions proceed via a hydrogen atom metathesis mechanism leading to HCl. Moreover, the oxidation of the primarily produced radicals was investigated, and the end products were the corresponding aldehydes (R(F)-CHO; R(F) = -CH(2)CF(3), -CF(2)CF(3), -CF(2)CHF(2), and -CF(2)CHFCF(3)), providing a strong experimental indication that the primary reactions proceed mainly via the abstraction of a methylenic hydrogen adjacent to a hydroxyl group. Finally, the bond strengths and ionization potentials for the title compounds were determined by density functional theory calculations, which also suggest that the alpha-methylenic hydrogen is mainly under abstraction by Cl atoms. The correlation of room-temperature rate coefficients with ionization potentials for a set of 27 molecules, comprising fluorinated C2-C5 ethers and C2-C4 alcohols, is good with an average deviation of a factor of 2, and is given by the expression log(k) (in cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)) = (5.8 +/- 1.4) - (1.56 +/- 0.13) x (ionization potential (in eV)).     

Atmospheric chemistry of CF3CH2CH2OH: kinetics, mechanisms and products of Cl atom and OH radical initiated oxidation in the presence and absence of NOX

Relative rate techniques were used to study the kinetics of the reactions of Cl atoms and OH radicals with CF(3)CH(2)C(O)H and CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH in 700 Torr of N(2) or air diluent at 296 +/- 2 K. The rate constants determined were k(Cl+CF(3)CH(2)C(O)H) = (1.81 +/- 0.27) x 10(-11), k(OH+CF(3)CH(2)C(O)H) = (2.57 +/- 0.44) x 10(-12), k(Cl+CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH) = (1.59 +/- 0.20) x 10(-11), and k(OH+CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH) = (6.91 +/- 0.91) x 10(-13) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). Product studies of the chlorine initiated oxidation of CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH in the absence of NO show the sole primary product to be CF(3)CH(2)C(O)H. Product studies of the chlorine initiated oxidation of CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH in the presence of NO show the primary products to be CF(3)CH(2)C(O)H (81%), HC(O)OH (10%), and CF(3)C(O)H. Product studies of the chlorine initiated oxidation of CF(3)CH(2)C(O)H in the absence of NO show the primary products to be CF(3)C(O)H (76%), CF(3)CH(2)C(O)OH (14%), and CF(3)CH(2)C(O)OOH (< or =10%). As part of this work, an upper limit of k(O(3)+CF(3)CH(2)CH(2)OH) < 2 x 10(-21) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was established. Results are discussed with respect to the atmospheric chemistry of fluorinated alcohols.