Comparisons of energy disposal by the reactions of H atoms with Cl2, SCl2, S2Cl2 and SO2Cl2 from observation of HC1 infrared chemiluminescence

Arrested relaxation infrared chemiluminescence studies of the H + Cl₂, SCl₂, S₂Cl₂, SOCl₂ and SO₂-Cl₂ reactions have been made. The mean fraction of vibrational (stational) energy released to HCl is 0.40 (0.10); 0.40 (0.13); 0.38 (? 0.02); 0.33 (?0.02) and 0.36 (?0.02) for the series. Only the H + SCl₂ reaction shows a two component initial rotational distribution. The larger (f_V) and (f_R) from H + SCl₂, relative to the other polyatomic reagents, is consistent with the observation that this is the only reaction that shows forward scattering. The room temperature rate constants also were measured, relative to H + Cl₂, and were found to decline in the series from 0.68 for SCl₂ to 0.02 for SO₂Cl₂. All of these data support the suggestion (first made by Heydtmann and Polanyi) that the unusual rotational energy disposal pattern from H + SCl₂ is a consequence of migration of H from the initially encountered C1 to the second C1, which then forms the HCI product; this pathway augments the direct reactive pathway, which gives HCI in lower J states.