Gas‐phase rate coefficients for a series of alkyl cyclohexanes with OH radicals and Cl atoms

The rate coefficients of the reactions of OH radicals and Cl atoms with three alkylcyclohexanes compounds, methylcyclohexane (MCH), trans‐1,4‐dimethylcyclohexane (DCH), and ethylcyclohexane (ECH) have been investigated at (293 ± 1) K and 1000 mbar of air using relative rate methods. A majority of the experiments were performed in the Highly Instrumented Reactor for Atmospheric Chemistry (HIRAC), a stainless steel chamber using in situ FTIR analysis and online gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC‐FID) detection to monitor the decay of the alkylcyclohexanes and the reference compounds. The studies were undertaken to provide kinetic data for calibrations of radical detection techniques in HIRAC. The following rate coefficients (in cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹) were obtained for Cl reactions: k_(Cl+MCH) = (3.51 ± 0.37) × 10^–10, k_(Cl+DCH) = (3.63 ± 0.38) × 10⁻¹⁰, k_(Cl+ECH) = (3.88 ± 0.41) × 10⁻¹⁰, and for the reactions with OH radicals: k_(OH+MCH) = (9.5 ± 1.3) × 10^–12, k_(OH+DCH) = (12.1 ± 2.2) × 10⁻¹², k_(OH+ECH) = (11.8 ± 2.0) × 10⁻¹². Errors are a combination of statistical errors in the relative rate ratio (2σ) and the error in the reference rate coefficient. Checks for possible systematic errors were made by the use of two reference compounds, two different measurement techniques, and also three different sources of OH were employed in this study: photolysis of CH₃ONO with black lamps, photolysis of H₂O₂ at 254 nm, and nonphotolytic trans‐2‐butene ozonolysis. For DCH, some direct laser flash photolysis studies were also undertaken, producing results in good agreement with the relative rate measurements. Additionally, temperature‐dependent rate coefficient investigations were performed for the reaction of methylcyclohexane with the OH radical over the range 273‐343 K using the relative rate method; the resulting recommended Arrhenius expression is k_{(OH + MCH)} = (1.85 ± 0.27) × 10^–11 exp((–1.62 ± 0.16) kJ mol⁻¹/RT) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. The kinetic data are discussed in terms of OH and Cl reactivity trends, and comparisons are made with the existing literature values and with rate coefficients from structure‐activity relationship methods. This is the first study on the rate coefficient determination of the reaction of ECH with OH radicals and chlorine atoms, respectively.     

Kinetic study of the gas‐phase photolysis and OH radical reaction of E,Z‐ and E,E‐2,4‐Hexadienedial

Unsaturated 1,6‐dicarbonyls like 2,4‐hexadienedial are ring opening products in the OH initiated photo‐oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons. In the present study, the photolysis of E,Z‐ and E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial has been investigated under natural sunlight conditions in a large volume outdoor reaction chamber. In the case of the E,Z‐isomer, an extremely rapid isomerization into the E,E‐form was observed. The photoisomerization frequency, relative to that of NO₂, was found to be J(E,Z‐2,4‐hexadienedial)/J(NO₂) = (0.148 ± 0.012). A more complex photolysis behavior was observed for E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial. Here, a fast equilibrium preceded a comparably slow photolysis. For the equilibrium reaction, relative frequencies of J(E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial → EQUI)/J(NO₂) = (0.113 ± 0.009) and J(EQUI → E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial)/J(NO₂) = (0.192 ± 0.016) were obtained, giving an equilibrium constant of K = (0.59 ± 0.07). For the photolysis frequencies, ratios of J(E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial → products)/J(NO₂) = J(EQUI → products)/J(NO₂) = (1.22 ± 0.45)·10⁻² were determined. Qualitative aerosol measurements during the experiments showed that the photolysis of 2,4‐hexadienedials is a source of secondary organic aerosol. In addition to the photolysis study, OH radical reaction rate constants were determined, values of (7.4 ± 1.9)·10⁻¹¹ and (7.6 ± 0.8)·10⁻¹¹ cm³ s⁻¹ were obtained for E,Z‐ and E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial, respectively. The results indicate that the dominant fate of E,Z‐2,4‐hexadienedial in the atmosphere will be photoisomerization, while for E,E‐2,4‐hexadienedial, both photolysis and OH radical reaction will be important sinks. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 689–697, 1999     

Products of the gas‐phase photooxidation reactions of 1‐propanol with OH radicals

An experimental investigation of the hydroxyl radical initiated gas‐phase photooxidation of 1‐propanol in the presence of NO was carried out in a reaction chamber using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The products identified in the OH radical reactions of 1‐propanol were propionaldehyde and acetaldehyde, with corresponding formation yields of 0.719 ± 0.058 and 0.184 ± 0.030, respectively. Errors represent ±2σ. The experimental product yields were compared to predictions made using chemical mechanisms. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 810–818, 1999     

Rate coefficients for the gas‐phase reaction of OH radicals with selected dihydroxybenzenes and benzoquinones

Rate coefficients have been determined for the gas‐phase reaction of the hydroxyl (OH) radical with the aromatic dihydroxy compounds 1,2‐dihydroxybenzene, 1,2‐dihydroxy‐3‐methylbenzene and 1,2‐dihydroxy‐4‐methylbenzene as well as the two benzoquinone derivatives 1,4‐benzoquinone and methyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone. The measurements were performed in a large‐volume photoreactor at (300 ± 5) K in 760 Torr of synthetic air using the relative kinetic technique. The rate coefficients obtained using isoprene, 1,3‐butadiene, and E‐2‐butene as reference hydrocarbons are k_OH(1,2‐dihydroxybenzene) = (1.04 ± 0.21) × 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ s⁻¹, k_OH(1,2‐dihydroxy‐3‐methylbenzene) = (2.05 ± 0.43) × 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ s⁻¹, k_OH(1,2‐dihydroxy‐4‐methylbenzene) = (1.56 ± 0.33) × 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ s⁻¹, k_OH(1,4‐benzoquinone) = (4.6 ± 0.9) × 10⁻¹² cm³ s⁻¹, k_OH(methyl‐1,4‐benzoquinone) = (2.35 ± 0.47) × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ s⁻¹. This study represents the first determination of OH radical reaction‐rate coefficients for these compounds. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 696–702, 2000     

Gas‐Phase Synthesis of 1‐Silacyclopenta‐2,4‐diene

Silole (1‐silacyclopenta‐2,4‐diene) was synthesized for the first time by the bimolecular reaction of the simplest silicon‐bearing radical, silylidyne (SiH), with 1,3‐butadiene (C₄H₆) in the gas phase under single‐collision conditions. The absence of consecutive collisions of the primary reaction product prevents successive reactions of the silole by Diels–Alder dimerization, thus enabling the clean gas‐phase synthesis of this hitherto elusive cyclic species from acyclic precursors in a single‐collision event. Our method opens up a versatile and unconventional path to access a previously rather obscure class of organosilicon molecules (substituted siloles), which have been difficult to access through classical synthetic methods.     

Rate constants for the gas‐phase reaction of hexamethylbenzene with OH radicals and H atoms and of 1,3,5‐trimethylbenzene with H atoms

Rate constants for the gas‐phase reaction of hexamethylbenzene (HMB) with OH radicals and H atoms and of 1,3,5‐trimethylbenzene (TMB) with H atoms have been obtained in a flow system at 295 ± 2 K and a pressure of 25 mbar He using MS measurements. Obtained rate constants from a relative rate technique are k_(OH+HMB) = (1.13 ± 0.11) 10⁻¹⁰, k_(H+HMB) = (5.9 ± 3.4) 10⁻¹³ and k_(H+TMB) = (4.6 ± 2.7) 10⁻¹³ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 124–129, 2001     

Gas‐phase pyrolytic reactions of N‐ethyl,N‐isopropyl,and N‐t‐butyl substituted 2‐aminopyrazine and 2‐aminopyrimidine

The rates of gas‐phase elimination of N‐ethyl (1), N‐isopropyl (2), N‐t‐butyl (3) substituted 2‐aminopyrazine and N‐ethyl (4), N‐isopropyl (5), and N‐t‐butyl (6) substituted 2‐aminopyrimidine have been measured. The compounds undergo unimolecular first‐order pyrolytic reactions. The relative rates of the primary:secondary;tertiary alkyl homologues at 600 K are 1:14.4:38.0 for the pyrazines and 1:20.8:162.5 for the pyrimidines, respectively. The reactivities of these compounds have been compared with those of the alkoxy analogues and with each other. Product analyses, together with the kinetic data, were used to outline a feasible pathway for the elimination reaction of the compounds under study. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 403–407, 2000     

Gas‐phase basicity of 2‐furaldehyde

2‐Furaldehyde (2‐FA), also known as furfural or 2‐furancarboxaldehyde, is an heterocyclic aldehyde that can be obtained from the thermal dehydration of pentose monosaccharides. This molecule can be considered as an important sustainable intermediate for the preparation of a great variety of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and furan‐based polymers. Despite the great importance of this molecule, its gas‐phase basicity (GB) has never been measured. In this work, the GB of 2‐FA was determined by the extended Cooks's kinetic method from electrospray ionization triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometric experiments along with theoretical calculations. As expected, computational results identify the aldehydic oxygen atom of 2‐FA as the preferred protonation site. The geometries of O‐O‐cis and O‐O‐trans 2‐FA and of their six different protomers were calculated at the B3LYP/aug‐TZV(d,p) level of theory; proton affinity (PA) values were also calculated at the G3(MP2, CCSD(T)) level of theory. The experimental PA was estimated to be 847.9 ± 3.8 kJ mol^?1, the protonation entropy 115.1 ± 5.03 J mol^?1 K^?1 and the GB 813.6 ± 4.08 kJ mol^?1 at 298 K. From the PA value, a ΔH°_f of 533.0 ± 12.4 kJ mol^?1 for protonated 2‐FA was derived. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Products of the gas‐phase reactions of the OH radical with n‐butyl methyl ether and 2‐isopropoxyethanol: Reactions of ROC(Ȯ) < radicals

The products of the gas‐phase reactions of the OH radical with n‐butyl methyl ether and 2‐isopropoxyethanol in the presence of NO have been investigated at 298 ± 2 K and 740 Torr total pressure of air by gas chromatography and in situ atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The products observed from n‐butyl methyl ether were methyl formate, propanal, butanal, methyl butyrate, and CH₃C(O)CH₂CH₂OCH₃ and/or CH₃CH₂C(O)CH₂OCH₃, with molar formation yields of 0.51 ± 0.11, 0.43 ± 0.06, 0.045 ± 0.010, ∼0.016, and 0.19 ± 0.04, respectively. Additional products of molecular weight 118, 149 and 165 were observed by API‐MS/MS analyses, with those of molecular weight 149 and 165 being identified as organic nitrates. The products observed and quantified from 2‐isopropoxyethanol were isopropyl formate and 2‐hydroxyethyl acetate, with molar formation yields of 0.57 ± 0.05 and 0.44 ± 0.05, respectively. For both compounds, the majority of the reaction products and reaction pathways are accounted for, and detailed reaction mechanisms are presented. The results of this product study are combined with previous literature product data to investigate the tropospheric reactions of R₁R₂C(Ȯ)OR radicals formed from ethers and glycol ethers, leading to a revised estimation method for the calculation of reaction rates of alkoxy radicals. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 501–513, 1999     

Gas‐phase radical–radical recombination reactions of nitroxides with substituted phenyl radicals

Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry has been used to examine gas‐phase reactions of four different nitroxide free radicals with eight positively charged pyridyl and phenyl radicals (some containing a Cl, F, or CF₃ substituent). All the radicals reacted rapidly (near collision rate) with nitroxides by radical–radical recombination. However, some of the radicals were also able to abstract a hydrogen atom from the nitroxide. The results establish that the efficiency (k_reaction/k_collision) of hydrogen atom abstraction varies with the electrophilicity of the radical, and hence is attributable to polar effects (a lowering of the transition‐state energy by an increase in its polar character). The efficiency of the recombination reaction is not sensitive to substituents, presumably due to a very low reaction barrier. Even so, after radical–radical recombination has occurred, the nitroxide adduct was found to fragment in different ways depending on the structure of the radical. For example, a cationic fragment was eliminated from the adducts of the more electrophilic radicals via oxygen anion abstraction by the radical (i.e., the nitroxide adduct cleaves heterolytically), whereas adducts of the less electrophilic radicals predominantly fragmented via homolytic cleavage (oxygen atom abstraction). Therefore, differences in the product branching ratios were found to be attributable to polar factors. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 216–229 2004     

Rate constants of the gas‐phase reactions of OH radicals with trans‐2‐hexenal,trans‐2‐octenal,and trans‐2‐nonenal

The rate constants of the gas‐phase reaction of OH radicals with trans‐2‐hexenal, trans‐2‐octenal, and trans‐2‐nonenal were determined at 298 ± 2 K and atmospheric pressure using the relative rate technique. Two reference compounds were selected for each rate constant determination. The relative rates of OH + trans‐2‐hexenal versus OH + 2‐methyl‐2‐butene and β‐pinene were 0.452 ± 0.054 and 0.530 ± 0.036, respectively. These results yielded an average rate constant for OH + trans‐2‐hexenal of (39.3 ± 1.7) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The relative rates of OH+trans‐2‐octenal versus the OH reaction with butanal and β‐pinene were 1.65 ± 0.08 and 0.527 ± 0.032, yielding an average rate constant for OH + trans‐2‐octenal of (40.5 ± 2.5) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The relative rates of OH+trans‐2‐nonenal versus OH+ butanal and OH + trans‐2‐hexenal were 1.77 ± 0.08 and 1.09 ± 0.06, resulting in an average rate constant for OH + trans‐2‐nonenal of (43.5 ± 3.0) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. In all cases, the errors represent 2σ (95% confidential level) and the calculated rate constants do not include the error associated with the rate constant of the OH reaction with the reference compounds. The rate constants for the hydroxyl radical reactions of a series of trans‐2‐aldehydes were compared with the values estimated using the structure activity relationship. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 483–489, 2009     

Kinetics of the gas‐phase reaction of CF3CF2CH2OH with OH radicals and its atmospheric lifetime

CF₃CF₂CH₂OH is a new chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) alternative. However, there are few data about its atmospheric fate. The kinetics of its atmospheric oxidation, the OH radical reaction of CF₃CF₂CH₂OH, has been investigated in a 2‐liter Pyrex reactor in the temperature range of 298 ∼ 356 K using gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS) for analysis in this study. The rate coefficient of k₁ = (2.27) × 10⁻¹² exp[−(900 ± 70)/T] cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ was determined using the relative rate method. The results are in good agreement with the literature values and the prediction of Atkinson's structure–activity relationship (SAR) model. From these results, the atmospheric lifetime of CF₃CF₂CH₂OH in the troposphere was deduced to be 0.34 year, which is 250 and 6 times shorter than those of CFC‐113 and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC‐225ca), respectively. Therefore CF₃CF₂CH₂OH has significant potential for the replacement of CFC‐113 and HCFC‐225ca. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 73–78, 2000     

Gas‐phase pyrolytic reaction of 3‐phenoxy and 3‐phenylsulfanyl‐1‐propanol derivatives: Kinetic and mechanistic study

3‐Phenoxy‐1‐propanols 1a–c and 3‐phenylsulfanyl‐1‐propanols 2a–c containing primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols were prepared and subjected to gas‐phase pyrolysis in a static reaction system. Pyrolysis of 4‐phenyl‐1‐butanol 3 , 2‐methyl‐3‐phenyl‐1‐propanol 4 , and 2‐methyl‐3‐phenylpropanoic acid 5 was also studied, and results were compared with those obtained for compounds 1–3 . The pyrolytic reactions were homogeneous and followed a first‐order rate equation. Analysis of the pyrolysate showed the products to be phenol (from 1a to 1c ), thiophenol (from 2a to 2c ), and toluene (from 3 to 5 ) and carbonyl compounds. The kinetic results and product analysis of each of the nine investigated compounds are rationalized in terms of a plausible transition state for the elimination pathway. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 40: 51–58, 2008     

Gas‐phase chemistry of dihydromyrcenol with ozone and OH radical: Rate constants and products

A bimolecular rate constant, k_{OH + dihydromyrcenol}, of (38 ± 9) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 was measured using the relative rate technique for the reaction of the hydroxyl radical (OH) with 2,6‐dimethyl‐7‐octen‐2‐ol (dihydromyrcenol,) at 297 ± 3 K and 1 atm total pressure. Additionally, an upper limit of the bimolecular rate constant, k, of approximately 2 × 10^?18 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 was determined by monitoring the decrease in ozone (O₃) concentration in an excess of dihydromyrcenol. To more clearly define part of dihydromyrcenol's indoor environment degradation mechanism, the products of the dihydromyrcenol + OH and dihydromyrcenol + O₃ reactions were also investigated. The positively identified dihydromyrcenol/OH and dihydromyrcenol/O₃ reaction products were acetone, 2‐methylpropanal (O?CHCH(CH₃)₂), 2‐methylbutanal (O?CHCH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃), ethanedial (glyoxal, HC(?O)C(?O)H), 2‐oxopropanal (methylglyoxal, CH₃C(?O)C(?O)H). The use of derivatizing agents O‐(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA) and N,O‐bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) clearly indicated that several other reaction products were formed. The elucidation of these other reaction products was facilitated by mass spectrometry of the derivatized reaction products coupled with plausible dihydromyrcenol/OH and dihydromyrcenol/O₃ reaction mechanisms based on previously published volatile organic compound/OH and volatile organic compound/O₃ gas‐phase reaction mechanisms. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. *

1 This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain of the United States of America

Int J Chem Kinet 38: 451–463, 2006     

Kinetics of the gas phase reaction of OH radicals with pyrrole and thiophene

Absolute rate constants for the gas phase reaction of OH radicals with pyrrole (k₁) and thiophene (k₂) have been measured over the temperature ranges 298–440 and 274–382 K, respectively, using the flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique. The rate constants obtained were independent of the total pressure of argon diluent over the range 25–100 torr andwere fit by the Arrhenius expressions and with rate constants at 298 ± 2 K of k₁ = (1.03 ± 0.06) × 10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 and k₂ = (8.9 ± 0.7) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. [These errors represent two standard deviations (systematic errors could constitute an additional ca. 10% uncertainty)]. These results are discussed with respect to the previous literature data and the atmospheric lifetimes of pyrrole and thiophene.     

Kinetics of the gas‐phase reaction of CF3OC(O)H with OH radicals at 242–328 K

The rate constants, k₁, of the reaction of CF₃OC(O)H with OH radicals were measured by using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic technique in an 11.5‐dm³ reaction chamber at 242–328 K. OH radicals were produced by UV photolysis of an O₃–H₂O–He mixture at an initial pressure of 200 Torr. Ozone was continuously introduced into the reaction chamber during UV irradiation. With CF₃OCH₃ as a reference compound, k₁ at 298 K was (1.65 ± 0.13) × 10^?14 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The temperature dependence of k₁ was determined as (2.33 ± 0.42) × 10^?12 exp[?(1480 ± 60)/T] cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1; possible systematic uncertainty could add an additional 20% to the k₁ values. The atmospheric lifetime of CF₃OC(O)H with respect to reaction with OH radicals was calculated to be 3.6 years. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 337–344 2004     

Gas‐phase fragmentation of protonated C60‐pyrimidine derivatives

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (ESI/MS/MS) and multiple stage mass spectrometry (MSⁿ, n > 2) were used in the positive ion mode, with two different types of mass spectrometers, a quadrupole time‐of‐flight and an ion trap, to characterize two sets of different types of C₆₀‐aminopyrimidine exohedral derivatives. In one set, the pyrimidine moiety bears an amino acid methyl ester residue, and in the other the pyrimidine ring is part of a nucleoside‐type moiety, the latter existing as two separated diastereoisomers. We have found that retro‐cycloaddition processes occur for the closed shell protonated species formed by electrospraying C₆₀ derivatives synthesized by Diels–Alder reactions, whereas for the C₆₀ derivatives synthesized via 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions, these processes did not occur. Formation of diagnostic ions allowed the differentiation between the two groups of fullerene derivatives, and between the diastereoisomers of C₆₀ derivatives with a nucleoside‐type moiety. In general, the fragmentation processes are strongly dependent on the protonation sites and on the structure of the exohedral moieties. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Viscoelastic properties and phase behavior of 12‐tert‐butyl ester dendrimer/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

This study used refractometry, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and dielectric analysis to assess the viscoelastic properties and phase behavior of blends containing 0–20% (w/w) 12‐tert‐butyl ester dendrimer in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Dendritic blends were miscible up through 12%, exhibiting an intermediate glass‐transition temperature (T_g; α) between those of the two pure components. Interactions of PMMA C?O groups and dendrimer N? H groups contributed to miscibility. T_g decreased with increasing dendrimer content before phase separation. The dendrimer exhibited phase separation at 15%, as revealed by Rayleigh scattering in ultraviolet–visible spectra and the emergence of a second T_g in dielectric studies. Before phase separation, clear, secondary β relaxations for PMMA were observed at low frequencies via dielectric analysis. Apparent activation energies were obtained through Arrhenius characterization. A merged αβ process for PMMA occurred at higher frequencies and temperatures in the blends. Dielectric data for the phase‐separated dendrimer relaxation (α_D) in the 20% blend conformed to Williams–Landel–Ferry behavior, which allowed the calculation of the apparent activation energy. The α_D relaxation data, analyzed both before and after treatment with the electric modulus, compared well with neat dendrimer data, which confirmed that this relaxation was due to an isolated dendrimer phase. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1381–1393, 2001