Pyrolysis of diethyl carbonate: Shock-tube and flow-reactor measurements and modeling

Shock-tube and flow-reactor experiments were used to study the thermal decomposition of diethyl carbonate (C₂H₅OC(O)OC₂H₅; DEC). The formation of CO₂, C₂H₄, and C₂H₅OH was measured with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and high-repetition-rate time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HRR-TOF-MS) behind reflected shock waves. The same products were also detected by GC/MS in flow reactor experiments. All experiments combined span a temperature range of 663–1203 K at pressures between 1.0 and 2.0 bar. Time-resolved species concentration profiles from HRR-TOF-MS and product compositions from GC/MS measurements were simulated applying a detailed reaction mechanism for DEC combustion. A master-equation analysis was conducted based on computed energies from G4 calculations. Quantum chemical calculations confirm that DEC primarily decomposes by six-center elimination, C₂H₅OC(O)OC₂H₅ → C₂H₄ + C₂H₅OC(O)OH (1a), followed by rapid decomposition of the alkoxy acid, C₂H₅OC(O)OH → C₂H₅OH + CO₂ (1b). Measured DEC decomposition rate constants k(T) at p ≈ 1.5 bar can be represented by the Arrhenius equation k(T) = 10^13.64±0.12 exp(?204.24±1.95 kJ/mol/RT) s ^{? 1}. Theoretical predictions for k_1a were in good agreement with experimentally derived values. The theoretical analysis also included dipropyl carbonate (C₃H₇OC(O)OC₃H₇; DPC) decomposition and the reactivities of DEC and DPC are compared and discussed in the context of reactivity of dialkyl carbonates under pyrolytic conditions.     

Investigation of the kinetics of OH∗ and CH∗ chemiluminescence in hydrocarbon oxidation behind reflected shock waves

The temporal variation of chemiluminescence emission from OH^?(A² Σ ⁺) and CH^?(A² Δ) in reacting Ar-diluted H₂/O₂/CH₄, C₂H₂/O₂ and C₂H₂/N₂O mixtures was studied in a shock tube for a wide temperature range at atmospheric pressures and various equivalence ratios. Time-resolved emission measurements were used to evaluate the relative importance of different reaction pathways. The main formation channel for OH^? in hydrocarbon combustion was studied with CH₄ as benchmark fuel. Three reaction pathways leading to CH^? were studied with C₂H₂ as fuel. Based on well-validated ground-state chemistry models from literature, sub-mechanisms for OH^? and CH^? were developed. For the main OH^?-forming reaction CH+O₂=OH^?+CO, a rate coefficient of k ₂=(8.0±2.6)×10¹⁰ cm³?mol^?1?s^?1 was determined. For CH^? formation, best agreement was achieved when incorporating reactions C₂+OH=CH^?+CO (k ₅=2.0×10¹⁴ cm³?mol^?1?s^?1) and C₂H+O=CH^?+CO (k ₆=3.6×10¹²exp(?10.9 kJ?mol^?1/RT) cm³?mol^?1?s^?1) and neglecting the C₂H+O₂=CH^?+CO₂ reaction.     

Kinetics for the reactions of phenyl with methanol and ethanol: Comparison of theory and experiment

The kinetics of the C₆H₅ reactions with CH₃OH and C₂H₅OH has been measured by pulsed-laser photolysis/mass-spectrometry (PLP/MS) employing acetophenone as the radical source. Kinetic modeling of the benzene formed in the reactions over the temperature range 306–771 K allows us to reliably determine the total rate constants for H-abstraction reactions. In order to improve our low temperature measurements down to 304 K we have also applied the cavity ring-down spectrometric technique using nitrosobenzene as the radical source. Both sets of data agree closely. A weighted least-squares analysis of the two complementary sets of data for the two reactions gave the total rate constants k(CH₃OH) = (7.82 ± 0.44) × 10¹¹ exp [?(853 ± 30)/T] and k(C₂H₅OH) = (5.73 ± 0.58) × 10¹¹ exp [?(1103 ± 44)/T] cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 for the temperature range studied. Theoretically, four possible product channels of the C₆H₅ + CH₃OH reaction producing C₆H₆ + CH₃O, C₆H₆ + CH₂OH, C₆H₅OH + CH₃ and C₆H₅OCH₃ + H and five possible product channels of the C₆H₅ + C₂H₅OH reaction producing C₆H₆ + C₂H₅O, C₆H₆ + CH₂CH₂OH, C₆H₆ + CH₃CHOH, C₆H₅OH + CH₃CH₂ and C₆H₅OCH₂CH₃ + H have been computed at the G2M//B3LYP/6?311+G(d, p) level of theory. The hydrogen abstraction channels were predicted to have lower energy barriers than those for the substitution reactions and their rate constants were calculated by the microcanonical variational transition state theory at 200–3000 K. The predicted rate constants are in good agreement with the experimental values. Significantly, the rate constant for the CH₃OH reaction with C₆H₅ was found to be greater than that for the C₂H₅OH reaction and both reactions were found computationally to be dominated by H-abstraction from the hydroxyl group attributable to the affinity of the phenyl toward the OH group and the predicted lower energy barriers for the OH attack.     

Thermal decomposition of toluene: Overall rate and branching ratio

The two-channel thermal decomposition of toluene, C₆H₅CH₃ → C₆H₅CH₂ + H (1) and C₆H₅CH₃ → C₆H₅ + CH₃ (2), was investigated in shock tube experiments over the temperature range of 1400-1780 K at a pressure of 1.5 (±0.1) bar. Rate coefficients for reactions (1) and (2) were determined by monitoring benzyl radical (C₆H₅CH₂) absorption at 266 nm during the decomposition of toluene diluted in argon and modeling the temporal behavior of the benzyl concentration with a kinetic model. The first-order rate coefficients determined at a pressure of 1.5 bar are expressed by k₁(T) = 2.09 × 10¹⁵ exp (−87510 [cal/mol]/RT) [s⁻¹] and k₂(T) = 2.66 × 10¹⁶ exp (−97880 [cal/mol]/RT) [s⁻¹]. The resulting branching ratio, k₁/(k₁ + k₂), ranges from 0.8 at 1350 K to 0.6 at 1800 K.     

Self-diffusion in a series of plastic organic solids studied by NMR

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times and linewidth measurements have been made on five polycrystalline organic compounds, triethylenediamine, 3-azabicyclononane, norbornane, norbornylene and norbornadiene. Measurements for each sample were made throughout the plastic crystal phase. The results are analysed in terms of molecular motion. Correlation times τ and activation enthalpies for translational self-diffusion of molecules are evaluated: triethylenediamine τ=7·6×10^?19 exp (96·4/RT)s, 3-azabicyclononane τ=1·7×10^?16 exp (83·6/RT)s, norbornane for 131K<T<306 K, τ=4·6×10^?15 exp (54·5/RT)s for 306K<T<360K, τ=1·1×10^?16 exp (64·8/RT)s, norbornylene, τ=4·×10^?15 exp (48·6/RT)s and norbornadiene τ=6·8×10^?15 exp (39·9/RT)s, where R is the gas constant in units of kJ K^?1mol^?1. The results and mechanism of diffusion are discussed in relation to the thermodynamic properties of the materials.     

The heat capacity of the layer compounds (CH3CH2CH2NH3)2MnCl4 and (CH3CH2CH2NH3)2CdCl4 from 10 K TO 300 K

The heat capacity of the layer compounds tetrachlorobis (n-propylammonium) manganese II and tetrachlorobis (n-propylammonium) cadmium II, (CH₃CH₂CH₂NH₃)₂MnCl₄ and (CH₃CH₂CH₂NH₃)₂CdCl₄ respectively, has been measured over the temperature range 10 K ?T ? 300 K.Two known structural phase transitions were observed for the Mn compound in this temperature region: at T = 112.8 ± 0.1 K (ΔH_t= 586 ± 2 J mol^?1; ΔS_t = 5.47 ± 0.02 J K^?1mol^?1) and at T =164.3 ± (ΔH_t = 496 ± 7 J mol^?1; ΔS_t =3.29 ± 0.05 J K^?1mol^?1). The lower transition is known to be from a monoclinic structure to a tetragonal structure, while the upper is from the tetragonal phase to an orthorhombic one. From comparison with the results for the corresponding methyl Mn compound it is deduced that the lower transition primarily involves changes in H-bonding while the upper transition involves motion in the propyl chain.A new structural phase transition was observed in the Cd compound at T= 105.5 ± 0.1 K (ΔH_t= 1472.3 ± 0.1 J mol^?1; ΔS_t = 13.956 ± 0.001 J K^?1mol^?1), in addition to two transitions that have been observed previously by other techniques. The higher of these transitions(T = 178.7 ± 0.3 K; ΔH_t = 982 ± 4 J mol^?1 ΔS_t = 6.16 ± 0.02 J K^? mol^?1) is known to be between two orthorhombic structures, while the structural changes at the lower transition (T= 156.8 ± 0.2 K; ΔH_t = 598 ± 5 J mol^?1, ΔS_t = 3.85 ± 0.03 J K^?1 mol^?1) and at the new transition are not known. It is proposed that these two transitions correspond respectively to the tetragonal to orthorhombic and monoclinic to tetragonal transitions in the propyl Mn compounds.In addition to the structural phase transitions (CH₃CH₂CH₂NH₃)₂MnCl₄ magnetically orders at t? 130 K. The magnetic contribution to the heat capacity is deduced from the heat capacity of the corresponding diamagnetic Cd compound and is of the form expected for a quasi 2-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet.     

Shock tube/laser absorption studies of the decomposition of methyl formate

Reaction rate coefficients for the major high-temperature methyl formate (MF, CH₃OCHO) decomposition pathways, MF → CH₃OH + CO (1), MF → CH₂O + CH₂O (2), and MF → CH₄ + CO₂ (3), were directly measured in a shock tube using laser absorption of CO (4.6 μm), CH₂O (306 nm) and CH₄ (3.4 μm). Experimental conditions ranged from 1202 to 1607 K and 1.36 to 1.72 atm, with mixtures varying in initial fuel concentration from 0.1% to 3% MF diluted in argon. The decomposition rate coefficients were determined by monitoring the formation rate of each target species immediately behind the reflected shock waves and modeling the species time-histories with a detailed kinetic mechanism [12]. The three measured rate coefficients can be well-described using two-parameter Arrhenius expressions over the temperature range in the present study: k₁ = 1.1 × 10¹³ exp(?29556/T, K) s^?1, k₂ = 2.6 × 10¹² exp(?32052/T, K) s^?1, and k₃ = 4.4 × 10¹¹ exp(?29 078/T, K) s^?1, all thought to be near their high-pressure limits. Uncertainties in the k₁, k₂ and k₃ measurements were estimated to be ±25%, ±35%, and ±40%, respectively. We believe that these are the first direct high-temperature rate measurements for MF decomposition and all are in excellent agreement with the Dooley et al. [12] mechanism. In addition, by also monitoring methanol (CH₃OH) and MF concentration histories using a tunable CO₂ gas laser operating at 9.67 and 9.23 μm, respectively, all the major oxygen-carrying molecules were quantitatively detected in the reaction system. An oxygen balance analysis during MF decomposition shows that the multi-wavelength laser absorption strategy used in this study was able to track more than 97% of the initial oxygen atoms in the fuel.     

Microwave spectrum and rotational isomerism in isopropyl mercaptan

A microwave investigation of isopropyl mercaptan has established the existence of both trans and gauche conformers, the trans being more stable by 57 cal mole^?1. Stark effect measurements give the dipole moments as 1.61 ± 0.2 D for the trans and 1.53 ± 0.2 D for the gauche species. The spectra of the isotopic species (CH₃)₂CH³²SD, (CH₃)₂CH³⁴SH, and (CH₃)₂CH³⁴SD of the trans form have also been analyzed, providing a limited amount of structural data.The rotational spectrum of the gauche isomer is noticeably influenced by inversion. Interactions between energy levels in the two lowest inversion states have been satisfactorily accounted for in terms of rotational constants, coupling parameters (G_a and G_c), and ΔE₀, the inversion level splitting. ΔE₀ is found to be 562.4 MHz for the ground state of (CH₃)₂CHSH and 10.0 MHz for (CH₃)₂CHSD. A value of 1.98 kcal mole^?1 has been calculated for the barrier to internal rotation of the -SH group in terms of a V₃ potential.     

Synthesis and aldehyde absorption properties of aspartate-octacalcium phosphate inclusion compound

Double salt of octacalcium phosphate (Ca₈(HPO₄)₂(PO₄)₄·5H₂O; OCP) and aspartate (⁻OOCCH₂CH(NH₂)COO⁻; Asp) was synthesized by hydrolysis of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-Ca₃(PO₄)₂; α-TCP) in the presence of sodium aspartate. The compositional formula of the obtained inclusion compound (Asp-OCP inclusion compound) was Ca₈(HPO₄)_1.28(C₄H₅NO₄)_0.72(PO₄)₄·6.3H₂O, which included higher content of aspartate than that in our precedent paper. Asp-OCP inclusion compound reacted with aldehdyes in the interlayer. In the absorption experiments using formaldehyde gas, the amounts of absorption for Asp-OCP inclusion compound was approximately twice as that for activated charcoal (for Asp-OCP inclusion compound: 3.1×10⁻³ mol/g, activated charcoal: 1.6×10⁻³ mol/g), in spite that the BET specific surface area of Asp-OCP inclusion compound was approximately one-thirtieth part of that of activated charcoal (Asp-OCP inclusion compound: 43 m²/g, activated charcoal: 1225 m²/g). When the gas absorption experiments using acetaldehyde and leaf aldehyde under higher concentrations were carried out, the imine formation in the interlayer were observed in FT-IR and solid state ¹³C-NMR spectra.     

I. Electron-impact ionization and dissociation of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>D<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack>

Absolute cross-sections for electron-impact ionization and dissociation of C₂H₂⁺ and C₂D₂⁺ have been measured for electron energies ranging from the corresponding thresholds up to 2.5 keV. The animated crossed beams experiment has been used. Light as well as heavy fragment ions that are produced from the ionization and the dissociation of the target have been detected for the first time. The maximum of the cross-section for single ionization is found to be (5.56 ± 0.03)× 10^-17 cm² around 140 eV. Cross-sections for dissociation of C₂ H₂⁺ (C₂D₂⁺) to ionic products are seen to decrease for two orders of magnitude, from C₂D⁺ (12.6 ± 0.3) × 10^-17 cm² over CH⁺(9.55 ± 0.06) × 10^-17 cm², C⁺ (6.66 ± 0.05) × 10^-17 cm², C₂⁺ (5.36 ± 0.27) × 10^-17 cm², H⁺ (4.73 ± 0.29) × 10^-17 cm² and CH₂⁺ (4.56 ± 0.27) × 10^-18 cm² to H₂⁺ (5.68 ± 0.49) × 10^-19 cm². Absolute cross-sections and threshold energies have been compared with the scarce data available in the literature.     

Kinetics for the reaction of phenyl radical with phenylacetylene and styrene

The kinetics for the reactions of C₆H₅ with phenylacetylene and styrene have been measured by CRDS in the temperature range 297-409 K under an Ar pressure of 3.6 Torr. The total rate constants can be given by the following Arrhenius expressions (in units of cm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹): k₁(C₆H₅ + C₆H₅C₂H) = 10^13.0±0.1exp [−(2430 ± 150)/RT] and k₂(C₆H₅ + C₆H₅C₂H₃) = 10^13.3±0.1 exp [−(2570 ± 180)/T]. Additional DFT and MP2 calculations have been carried out to assist our interpretation of the measured kinetic data. The addition of C₆H₅ to the terminal CH_x (x = 1 or 2) sites is predicted to be the dominant channel for both reactions. The calculated bimolecular rate constants are in reasonable agreement with experimental values for the temperature range studied.     

Multi-species time-history measurements during high-temperature acetone and 2-butanone pyrolysis

High-temperature acetone and 2-butanone pyrolysis studies were conducted behind reflected shock waves using five species time-history measurements (ketone, CO, CH₃, CH₄ and C₂H₄). Experimental conditions covered temperatures of 1100–1600 K at 1.6 atm, for mixtures of 0.25–1.5% ketone in argon. During acetone pyrolysis, the CO concentration time-history was found to be strongly sensitive to the acetone dissociation rate constant k₁ (CH₃COCH₃ → CH₃ + CH₃CO), and this could be directly determined from the CO time-histories, yielding k₁(1.6 atm) = 2.46 × 10¹⁴ exp(?69.3 [kcal/mol]/RT) s^?1 with an uncertainty of ±25%. This rate constant is in good agreement with previous shock tube studies from Sato and Hidaka (2000) [3] and Saxena et al. (2009) [4] (within 30%) at temperatures above 1450 K, but is at least three times faster than the evaluation from Sato and Hidaka at temperatures below 1250 K. Using this revised k₁ value with the recent mechanism of Pichon et al. (2009) [5], the simulated profiles during acetone pyrolysis show excellent agreement with all five species time-history measurements. Similarly, the overall 2-butanone decomposition rate constant k_tot was inferred from measured 2-butanone time-histories, yielding k_tot(1.5 atm) = 6.08 × 10¹³ exp(?63.1 [kcal/mol]/RT) s^?1 with an uncertainty of ±35%. This rate constant is approximately 30% faster than that proposed by Serinyel et al. (2010) [11] at 1119 K, and approximately 100% faster at 1412 K. Using the measured 2-butanone and CO time-histories and an O-atom balance analysis, a missing removal pathway for methyl ketene was identified. The rate constant for the decomposition of methyl ketene was assumed to be the same as the value for the ketene decomposition reaction. Using the revised k_tot value and adding the methyl ketene decomposition reaction to the Serinyel et al. mechanism, the simulated profiles during 2-butanone pyrolysis show good agreement with the measurements for all five species.     

High pressure Raman spectra of L‐methionine crystal

Raman spectra of an L ‐methionine (C₅H₁₁NO₂S) crystal were obtained in the spectral region between 50 and 3200 cm⁻¹ for pressures up to 5 GPa. Pronounced changes of the Raman spectra were observed for bands associated to rocking of CO₂⁻; wagging of CO₂⁻; deformations of CO₂⁻, CH₃, and NH₃⁺; and stretching vibrations of SC, CC, CH, CH₂, and CH₃. Upon decompression to ambient pressure the original Raman spectrum prior to compression is recovered. These modifications were associated to a reversible phase transition undergone by the L ‐methionine crystal at about 2.2 GPa, with a hysteresis of ∼0.8 GPa. Pressure coefficients for most of the internal modes of the crystal are given. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

II. Electron-impact dissociative excitation of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>D<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack>

Absolute cross-sections for electron-impact dissociative ionization of C₂ H₂⁺ and C₂ D₂⁺ to CH⁺, C⁺, C₂⁺ , H⁺, CH₂⁺ and C₂D⁺ fragments are determined for electron energies ranging from the corresponding threshold to 2.5 keV. Results obtained in a crossed beams experiment are analyzed to estimate the contribution of dissociative ionization to each fragment formation. The dissociative ionization cross sections are seen to decrease for more than an order of magnitude, from CH⁺ (5.37±0.10) × 10^-17 cm² over C⁺ (4.19± 0.16) × 10^-17 cm², C₂D⁺ (3.94±0.38) × 10^-17 cm², C₂⁺ (3.82±0.15) × 10^-17 cm² and H⁺ (3.37±0.21) × 10^-17 cm² to CH₂⁺ (2.66±0.14) × 10^-18 cm². Kinetic energy release distributions of fragment ions are also determined from the analysis of the product velocity distribution. Cross section values, threshold energies and kinetic energies are compared with the data available from the literature. Conforming to the scheme used in the study of the dissociative excitation of C₂H₂⁺ ( C₂ D₂⁺ )\left( {\rm C}_2 {\rm D}_2^+ \right), the cross-sections are presented in a format suitable for their implementation in plasma simulation codes.     

Theoretical study on the kinetics for OH reactions with CH3OH and C2H5OH

Kinetics and mechanisms for reactions of OH with methanol and ethanol have been investigated at the CCSD(T)/6-311 + G(3df, 2p)//MP2/6-311 + G(3df, 2p) level of theory. The total and individual rate constants, and product branching ratios for the reactions have been computed in the temperature range 200-3000 K with variational transition state theory by including the effects of multiple reflections above the wells of their pre-reaction complexes, quantum-mechanical tunneling and hindered internal rotations. The predicted results can be represented by the expressions k₁ = 4.65 × 10⁻²⁰ × T^2.68 exp(414/T) and k₂ = 9.11 × 10⁻²⁰ × T^2.58 exp(748/T) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ for the CH₃OH and C₂H₅OH reactions, respectively. These results are in reasonable agreements with available experimental data except that of OH + C₂H₅OH in the high temperature range. The former reaction produces 96-89% of the H₂O + CH₂OH products, whereas the latter process produces 98-70% of H₂O + CH₃CHOH and 2-21% of the H₂O + CH₂CH₂OH products in the temperature range computed (200-3000 K).     

Vibrational study,phase transitions and electrical properties of 4-benzylpyridinium monohydrogenselenate

The title compound C₆H₅CH₂C₅H₄NH⁺·HSeO₄⁻ crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with the space group Pbca and the following unit cell dimensions: a=27.449(5) Å; b=10.821(6) Å and c=8.830(1) Å.The structure consists of infinite parallel two-dimensional planes built of HSeO₄⁻ anions and C₆H₅CH₂C₅H₄NH⁺ cations mutually.Differential scanning calorimetry study on 4-benzylpyridinium monohydrogen-selenate was carried out. A high temperature second order phase transition at 363 K was found and characterized by electric measurements. The Raman of polycrystalline sample has been recorded at different temperature between 297 and 373 K.The conductivity relaxation parameters associated with some H⁺ conduction have been determined from an analysis of the M′′/M′′_max spectrum measured in a wide temperature range. An appearance of the superionic phase transition in 4-BSe is closely related to a liberation or even a rotation increase of HSeO₄⁻ groups with heating.     

The oxidation of methanol on a silver (110) catalyst

The oxidation of methanol was studied on a Ag(110) single-crystal by temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy. The Ag(110) surface was preoxidized with oxygen-18, and deuterated methanol, CH₃OD, was used to distinguish the hydroxyl hydrogen from the methyl hydrogens. Very little methanol chemisorbed on the oxygen-free Ag(110) surface, and the ability of the silver surface to dissociatively chemisorb methanol was greatly enhanced by surface oxygen. CH₃OD was selectively oxidized upon adsorption at 180 K to adsorbed CH₃O and D₂¹⁸O, and at high coverages the D₂¹⁸O was displaced from the Ag(110) surface. The methoxide species was the most abundant surface intermediate and decomposed via reaction channels at 250, 300 and 340 K to H₂CO and hydrogen. Adsorbed H₂CO also reacted with adsorbed CH₃O to form H₂COOCH₃which subsequently yielded HCOOCH₃ and hydrogen. The first-order rate constant for the dehydrogenation of D₂COOCH₃ to DCOOCH₃ and deuterium was found to be (2.4 ± 2.0) × 10¹¹ exp(?14.0 ± 0.5 $\text{kcal}\text{mole}$ · RT)sec^?1. This reaction is analogous to alkoxide transfer from metal alkoxides to aldehydes in the liquid phase. Excess surface oxygen atoms on the silver substrate resulted in the further oxidation of adsorbed H₂CO to carbon dioxide and water. The oxidation of methanol on Ag(110) is compared to the previous study on Cu(110).     

The microwave spectrum,structure, and dipole moment of the unstable molecule phosphaethene,CH2PH

A detailed rotational analysis of the microwave spectrum between 26.5 and 40 GHz of phosphaethene, CH₂PH, has been carried out. This molecule is the simplest member of a new class of unstable molecules—the phosphaalkenes. The species can be produced by pyrolysis of (CH₃)₂PH, CH₃PH₂ and also somewhat more efficiently from Si(CH₃)₃CH₂PH₂. Full first-order centrifugal distortion analyses have been carried out for both ¹²CH₂³¹PH and ¹²CH₂³¹PD yielding: A₀ = 138 503.20(21), B₀ = 16 418.105(26), and C₀ = 14 649.084(28) MHz for ¹²CH₂³¹PH. The 1₀₁-0₀₀μ_A lines have also been detected for ¹³CH₂PH, cis-CDHPH and trans-CHDPH. These data have enabled an accurate structure determination to be carried out which indicates: $\text{r(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{C}\text{) = 1.09 ± 0.015}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{CP}\text{) = 124.4 ± 0.8°; r(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{t}}\text{C}\text{) = 1.09 ± 0.015}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{t}}\text{CP}\text{) = 118.4 ± 1.2°; r(}\text{CP}\text{) = 1.673 ± 0.002}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{HCH}\text{) = 117.2 ± 1.2°; r(}\text{PH}\text{) = 1.420 ± 0.006}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, ∠(}\text{CPH}\text{) = 97.4 ± 0.4°}$. The dipole moment components have been determined as μ_A = 0.731 (2), μ_B = 0.470 (3), μ = 0.869 (3) D for CH₂PH; μ_A = 0.710 (2), μ_B = 0.509 (10), μ = 0.874 (7) D for CH₂PD.     

Search for rare φ decays in π+π−γ final state

A search for φ radiative decays has been performed using a data sample of about 2.0 million φ decays collected by the CMD-2 detector at VEPP-2M collider in Novosibirsk. From the selected e⁺e⁻→π⁺π⁻γ events the following results were obtained:B(φ→f₀(980)γ)<1×10⁻⁴ for destructive andB(φ→f₀(980)γ)<7×10⁻⁴ for constructive interference with the Bremsstrahlung process respectively,B(φ→γ→π⁺π⁻γ)<3×10⁻⁵ for E_γ>20 MeV,B(φ→ργ)<7×10⁻⁴. From the selected e⁺e⁻→μ⁺μ⁻γ eventsB(φ→μ⁺μ⁻γ)=(2.3±1.0)×10⁻⁵ has been obtained for E_γ>20 MeV. The upper limit on the P,CP-violating decay η→π⁺π⁻ has also been placed:B(η→π⁺π⁻)<9×10⁻⁴. All upper limits are at 90% C.L.     

Raman and ab initio study of the conformational isomerism in the 1‐ethyl‐3‐methyl‐imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ionic liquid

The calculated and experimental Raman spectra of the (EMI⁺)TFSI⁻ ionic liquid, where EMI⁺ is the 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium cation and TFSI⁻ the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion, have been investigated for a better understanding of the EMI⁺ and TFSI⁻ conformational isomerism as a function of temperature. Characteristic Raman lines of the planar (p) and non‐planar (np) EMI⁺ conformers are identified using the reference (EMI⁺)Br⁻ salt. The anion conformer of C₂ symmetry is confirmed to be more stable than the cis (C₁) one by 4.5 ± 0.2 kJ mol⁻¹. At room temperature, the population of trans (C₂) anions and np cations is 75 ± 2% and 87 ± 4%, respectively. Fast cooling quenches a metastable glassy phase composed of mainly C₂ anion conformers and p cation conformers, whereas slow cooling gives a crystalline phase composed of C₁ anion conformers and of np cation conformers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.