Kinetics of the reactions of OH radicals with selected acetates and other esters under simulated atmospheric conditions

The relative hydroxyl radical reaction rate constants from the simulated atmospheric oxidation of selected acetates and other esters have been measured. Reactions were carried out at 297 ± 2 K in 100-liter FEP Teflon®-film bags. The OH radicals were generated from the photolysis of methyl nitrite in pure air. Using a rate constant of 2.63 × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 for the reaction of OH radicals with propene, the principal reference organic compound, the rate constants (×10¹² cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) obtained for the acetates and esters used in this study are:

n–propyl acetate	3.42 ± 0.87
n–butyl acetate	5.71 ± 0.94
n–pentyl acetate	7.53 ± 0.48
2–ethoxyethyl acetate	10.56 ± 1.31
2–ethoxyethyl isobutyrate	13.56 ± 2.32
2–ethoxyethyl methacrylate	27.22 ± 2.06
4–pentene-1-yl acetate	43.40 ± 3.85
3–Ethoxyacrylic acid ethyl ester	33.30 ± 1.22

Error limits represent 2σ from linear least-squares analysis of data. A linear correlation was observed for a plot of the measured relative rate constants vs. the number of CH₂ groups per molecule of the following acetates: methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, butyl acetate, and pentyl acetate. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.