Mechanism and kinetics of the atmospheric degradation of perfluoropolymethylisopropyl ether by OH radical: a theoretical study

In the present work, the mechanism and kinetics of the reaction of perfluoropolymethylisopropyl ether (PFPMIE) with OH radical are studied. The reaction between PFPMIE and OH radical is initiated through breaking of C–C or C–O bond of PFPMIE. These reactions lead to the formation of COF₂ molecules and alkyl radical. The pathways corresponding to the reaction between PFPMIE and OH radical have been modelled using density functional theory methods M06-2X and MPW1K with 6-31G(d,p) basis set. It is found that the C–C bond breaking reaction is most favourable than the C–O bond breaking reaction. The subsequent reactions of the alkyl radicals, formed from the C–C bond breaking reactions, are studied in detail. The rate constant for the initial oxidation reactions is calculated using canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunnelling corrections over the temperature range of 278–350 K. From the calculated reaction, potential energy surface and rate constant, the lifetime and global warming potential of PFPMIE are studied.     

Additive effect of hydrocarbons on OH radical production in H2 oxidation

Mixtures of hydrocarbons (methane, allene, propyne, propene, and propane)–H₂–O₂ highly diluted with argon were heated to a temperature ranging from 1200 to 1900 K behind reflected shock waves, and the additive effects of methane, allene, propyne, propene, and propane on OH radical production in H₂ oxidation were studied by observing time‐resolved UV‐absorption (306.7 nm). It was found that, in H₂ oxidation below 1500 K, the addition of these hydrocarbons prolonged the delay time of the onset of the rapid OH radical production. An analysis using reported kinetic modeling of C₁–C₄ oxidation gave valuable information for reactions between hydrocarbons and H, O atoms and OH radicals. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 50–55, 2005     

Implications of the HCN → HNC process to high-temperature nitrogen-containing fuel chemistry

We have found in our recent kinetic study of the oxidation of HCN by NO₂ in the temperature range 623–773 K that HNCO and CO₂ are very important early products. The measured kinetic data cannot be accounted for by a “conventional” mechanism involving HCN reactions with NO₂, O, and OH. However, the introduction of the isomerization reaction HCN → HNC, followed by the rapid oxidation of HNC by NO₂, O, and OH, can quantitatively simulate all measured kinetic data. A similar study of the NO₂ + HCN reaction in shock waves at temperatures between 1500 and 2400 K also required the inclusion of HNC reactions in order to quantitatively account for measured product distributions. The effects of the HNC molecule on the high temperature HCN chemistry are discussed in terms of the predicted rate constants for HNC reactions with O and OH employing the BAC-MP4 method. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetic study of the reactions of Br2 with OH and OD

The kinetics of the reactions OH + Br₂ → HOBr + Br (1) and OD + Br₂ → DOBr + Br (3) have been studied in the temperature range 230–360 K and at total pressure of 1 Torr of helium using the discharge‐flow mass spectrometric method. The following Arrhenius expressions were obtained either from the kinetics of product formation (HOBr, DOBr) in excess of Br₂ over OH and OD or from the kinetics of Br₂ consumption in excess of OH and OD: k₁ = (1.8 ± 0.3) × 10⁻¹¹ exp [(235 ± 50)/T] and k₃ = (1.9 ± 0.2) × 10⁻¹¹ exp [(220 ± 25)/T] cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹. For the reaction channels of the title reactions: OH + Br₂ → BrO + HBr and OD + Br₂ → BrO + DBr, the upper limits of the branching ratios were found to be 0.03 and 0.02 at T = 320 K, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 698–704, 1999     

Rate constants and atmospheric lifetimes for the reactions of OH radicals and Cl atoms with haloalkanes

Rate constants for the reactions of Cl atoms and OH radicals with haloalkanes were measured using the relative rate technique. From these values the atmospheric lifetimes of the organics with respect to Cl atoms and OH radicals were calculated. Cl atoms were produced by the photolysis of chlorine gas, and photolysis of methyl nitrite was the source of OH radicals. The rate constants were measured for a series of brominated and chlorinated alkanes for which measurements have not yet been reported excepting: k(Cl + 1-chloropropane) and k(OH + 1-chloropropane, 2-chloropropane, and bromoethane). The organics studied were 1-chloropropane, 2-chloropropane, 1,3 dichloropropane, 2-chloro 2methylpropane, bromoethane, 1-bromopropane, 2-bromopropane, 1-bromobutane, 1-bromopentane, and 1-bromohexane. Cl atom reactions were measured at 298 K, the OH radical reactions were measured at temperatures between 298–308 K. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Theoretical study of reactions of N2O with NO and OH radicals

The reactions of N₂O with NO and OH radicals have been studied using ab initio molecular orbital theory. The energetics and molecular parameters, calculated by the modified Gaussian-2 method (G2M), have been used to compute the reaction rate constants on the basis of the TST and RRKM theories. The reaction N₂O + NO → N₂ + NO₂ (1) was found to proceed by direct oxygen abstraction and to have a barrier of 47 kcal/mol. The theoretical rate constant, k₁ = 8.74 × 10⁻¹⁹ × T^2.23 exp (−23,292/T) cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, is in close agreement with earlier estimates. The reaction of N₂O with OH at low temperatures and atmospheric pressure is slow and dominated by association, resulting in the HONNO intermediate. The calculated rate constant for 300 K ≤ T ≤ 500 K is lower by a few orders than the upper limits previously reported in the literature. At temperatures higher than 1000 K, the N₂O + OH reaction is dominated by the N₂ + O₂H channel, while the HNO + NO channel is slower by 2–3 orders of magnitude. The calculated rate constants at the temperature range of 1000–5000 K for N₂O + OH → N₂ + O₂H (2A) and N₂O + OH → HNO + NO (2B) are fitted by the following expressions: in units of cm³ molecule ⁻¹s⁻¹. Both N₂O + NO and N₂O + OH reactions are confirmed to enhance, albeit inefficiently, the N₂O decomposition by reducing its activation energy. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Methanol oxidation in a flow reactor: Implications for the branching ratio of the CH3OH+OH reaction

The oxidation of methanol in a flow reactor has been studied experimentally under diluted, fuel-lean conditions at 650–1350 K, over a wide range of O₂ concentrations (1%–16%), and with and without the presence of nitric oxide. The reaction is initiated above 900 K, with the oxidation rate decreasing slightly with the increasing O₂ concentration. Addition of NO results in a mutually promoted oxidation of CH₃OH and NO in the 750–1100 K range. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of a revised chemical kinetic model. Owing to the high sensitivity of the mutual sensitization of CH₃OH and NO oxidation to the partitioning of CH₃O and CH₂OH, the CH₃OH + OH branching fraction could be estimated as α = 0.10 ± 0.05 at 990 K. Combined with low-temperature measurements, this value implies a branching fraction that is largely independent of temperature. It is in good agreement with recent theoretical estimates, but considerably lower than values employed in previous modeling studies. Modeling predictions with the present chemical kinetic model is in quantitative agreement with experimental results below 1100 K, but at higher temperatures and high O₂ concentration the model underpredicts the oxidation rate. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 423–441, 2008     

Termolecular reactions of alkali metal atoms with O2 and OH

Calculations of low-pressure limit, third-order rate constants are presented for the association reactions A + O₂ + N₂ and A + OH + N₂ (A = Li, Na, K) over the temperature range 200–2000 K and a comparison is made with the available experimental data.     

Mechanochemical reactions of telluric acid with alkaline fluorides

The mechanochemical reactions of telluric acid, Te(OH)₆ with alkaline fluorides (Na and K) have been studied using IR and XRD techniques. The reactions lead to the formation of hydrogen-bonding complexes, NaF.Te(OH)₆ and 2KF.Te(OH)₆. The reactions are free from side products such as alkali tellurates, alkali fluorotellurates or HF₂⁻ salts.     

On the kinetic mechanism of the hydrogen abstraction reactions of the hydroxyl radical with CH3CF2Cl and CH3CFCl2: A dual level direct dynamics study

By means of the dual‐level direct dynamics method, the mechanisms of the reactions, CH₃CF₂Cl + OH → products (R1) and CH₃CFCl₂ + OH → products (R2), are studied over a wide temperature range 200–2000 K. The optimized geometries and frequencies of the stationary points are calculated at the MP2/6‐311G(d,p) level, and then the energy profiles of the reactions are refined with the interpolated single‐point energy method at the G3(MP2) level. The canonical variational transition‐state theory with the small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) correction method is used to calculate the rate constants. For the title reactions, three reaction channels are identified and the H‐abstraction channel is the major pathway. The results indicate that F substitution has a significant (reductive) effect on hydrochlorofluorocarbon reactivity. Also, for all H‐abstraction reaction channels the variational effect is small and the SCT effect is only important in the lower temperature range on the rate constants calculation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

A shock tube study of CO + OH → CO2 + H and HNCO + OH → products via simultaneous laser absorption measurements of OH and CO2

The rate coefficients for the reactions were determined using mixtures of HNO₃/CO/Ar and HNO₃/HNCO/Ar in incident shock wave experiments. Simultaneous OH and CO₂ absorption time-histories were obtained via cw uv narrow-linewidth absorption at 32606.56 cm⁻¹ (λ = 306.687 nm) and cw infrared narrow-linewidth absorption at 2380.72 cm⁻¹ (λ = 4.2004 μm), respectively. The measurements of k₁ determined from measured CO₂ time-histories are in good agreement with those determined from previous measurements of OH time-histories at this laboratory. The rate coefficient for the overall reaction of HNCO + OH → Products was determined from analysis of OH data traces. The uncertainty in k₂ was found to be +22% −16%. By incorporating data from a previous low-temperature study, the following empirical expression was determined for the bimolecular reaction: over the temperature range 620–1860 K. From analysis of CO₂ data traces, an upper limit on the branching fraction (α = k_2a/k₂) for reaction (2a) of 10% was found, independent of temperature over the range 1250–1860 K. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An experimental and modeling study of ethanol oxidation kinetics in an atmospheric pressure flow reactor

Experimental profiles of stable species concentrations and temperature are reported for the flow reactor oxidation of ethanol at atmospheric pressure, initial temperatures near 1100 K and equivalence ratios of 0.61–1.24. Acetaldehyde, ethene, and methane appear in roughly equal concentrations as major intermediate species under these conditions. A detailed chemical mechanism is validated by comparison with the experimental species profiles. The importance of including all three isomeric forms of the C₂H₅O radical in such a mechanism is demonstrated. The primary source of ethene in ethanol oxidation is verified to be the decomposition of the C₂H₄OH radical. The agreement between the model and experiment at 1100 K is optimized when the branching ratio of the reactions of C₂H₅OH with OH and H is defined by (30% C₂H₄OH + 50% CH₃CHOH + 20% CH₃CH₂O) + XH. As in methanol oxidation, HO₂ chemistry is very important, while the H + O₂ chain branching reaction plays only a minor role until late in fuel decay, even at temperatures above 1100 K.     

Kinetics of CN radical reactions with formaldehyde and 1,3,5-trioxane

Absolute rate constants were measured for the reaction CN + CH₂O over the temperature range 297–673 K and CN + 1,3,5-trioxane over the range of 297–600 K by the laser photolysis/laser induced fluorescence technique. The rate constants for these reactions can be effectively represented, in units of cm³/s, by: k(CH₂O) = 2.82 × 10^?19 T^2.72 exp(718/T), and k(1,3,5-trioxane) = 1.39 × 10^?23 T^4.26 exp(1333/T), respectively. Transition state theory calculations were able to fit the temperature dependence of the CN + CH₂O rates relatively well. We attempted to correlate the CN reaction rate with CH₂O and other molecules which occur through simple abstraction with the corresponding OH reaction rates, yielding only a qualitative linear correlation for a majority of the processes. The reactions which deviated significantly from linearity include those which contain strong dipoles, highlighting the significant role long-range attractive forces play in CN and OH reactions. Using a simple electrostatic potential, cross-sections were determined for reactions with CN. No linear correlation was found between the calculated and experimental cross sections for the majority of the reactions studied. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetic study of some elementary reactions of sulfur compounds including reactions of S and SO with OH radicals

The reactions of S + OH → SO + H (1) and SO + OH → SO₂ + H (2) were studied in a discharge flow reactor coupled to an EPR spectrometer. The rate constants obtained under the pseudo-first-order conditions with an excess of S or SO were found to be k₁ = (6.6 ± 1.4) × 10^?11 and k₂ = (8.4 ± 1.5) × 10^?11 at room temperature. Units are cm³/molec·sec. Besides no reactivity was observed between S and CO₂ at 298 K and between CIO and SO₂ up to 711 K.     

Theoretical study of thermal rearrangements of α‐silylalcohols: Effects of substituents attached to the silicon atom on the reactions

To investigate the effects of substituents attached to the silicon atom on the thermal rearrangement reactions of α‐silyl alcohols, the thermal rearrangement reactions of dimethylsilyl methanol (CH₃)₂SiHCH₂OH and vinylsilyl methanol CH₂?CHSiH₂CH₂OH were studied by ab initio calculations at the G3 level. Geometries of various stationary points were fully optimized at the MP2(full)/6‐31G(d) and MP2(full)/6‐311G(d,p) levels, and harmonic vibrational frequencies were calculated at the same levels. The reaction paths were investigated and confirmed by intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations at the MP2(full)/6‐31G(d) level. The results show that two dyotropic reactions could occur when (CH₃)₂SiHCH₂OH or CH₂?CHSiH₂CH₂OH is heated. One is Brook rearrangement reaction (reaction A), and the dimethylsilyl or vinylsilyl groups migrates from carbon atom to oxygen atom coupled with a simultaneous migration of a hydrogen atom from oxygen atom to carbon atom passing through a double three‐membered ring transition state, forming dimethylmethoxylsilane (CH₃)₂SiHOCH₃ or methoxylvinylsilane CH₂?CHSiH₂OCH₃; the other is a hydroxyl group migration (reaction B) from carbon atom to silicon atom, coupled with a simultaneous migration of a hydrogen atom from silicon atom to carbon atom, via a double three‐membered ring transition state, forming trimethylsilanol (CH₃)₃SiOH or methylvinylsilanol CH₃SiH(OH)CH?CH₂. The G3 barriers of the reactions A and B were computed to be 312.8 and 241.4 kJ/mol for (CH₃)₂SiHCH₂OH, and 317.6 and 233.7 kJ/mol for CH₂?CHSiH₂CH₂OH, respectively. On the basis of the MP2(full)/6‐31G(d) optimized parameters, vibrational frequencies, and G3 energies, the reaction rate constants k(T) and equilibrium constants K(T) were calculated using canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with centrifugal‐dominant small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) approximation over a temperature range of 400–1800 K. The influences of methyl and vinyl groups attached to the silicon atom on reactions are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Kinetics of methyl radical reaction with methanol at 20–105 K

The kinetics of the reaction CH₃ + CH₃OH - CH₄ + CH₂OH has been studied by electron spin resonance at 20–105 K over the time scale of 0.2 s to 10 h. The kinetic curves are non-exponential over the time range studied. They coincide in the initial stage below 87 K, then diverge throughout the temperature range investigated. The temperature dependence of the shape of the kinetic curves has been analyzed.     

Experimental measurements and kinetic modeling of CO/H2/O2/NOx conversion at high pressure

This paper presents results from lean CO/H₂/O₂/NO_x oxidation experiments conducted at 20–100 bar and 600–900 K. The experiments were carried out in a new high‐pressure laminar flow reactor designed to conduct well‐defined experimental investigations of homogeneous gas phase chemistry at pressures and temperatures up to 100 bar and 925 K. The results have been interpreted in terms of an updated detailed chemical kinetic model, designed to operate also at high pressures. The model, describing H₂/O₂, CO/CO₂, and NO_x chemistry, is developed from a critical review of data for individual elementary reactions, with supplementary rate constants determined from ab initio CBS‐QB3 calculations. New or updated rate constants are proposed for important reactions, including OH + HO₂ ? H₂O + O₂, CO + OH ? [HOCO] ? CO₂ + H, HOCO + OH ? CO + H₂O₂, NO₂ + H₂ ? HNO₂ + H, NO₂ + HO₂ ? HONO/HNO₂ + O₂, and HNO₂(+M) ? HONO(+M). Further validation of the model performance is obtained through comparisons with flow reactor experiments from the literature on the chemical systems H₂/O₂, H₂/O₂/NO₂, and CO/H₂O/O₂ at 780–1100 K and 1–10 bar. Moreover, introduction of the reaction CO + H₂O₂ → HOCO + OH into the model yields an improved prediction, but no final resolution, to the recently debated syngas ignition delay problem compared to previous kinetic models. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 454–480, 2008     

An experimental and theoretical study on the kinetics of the reaction between 4‐hydroxy‐3‐hexanone CH3CH2C(O)CH(OH)CH2CH3 and OH radicals

Experimental and theoretical rate coefficients are determined for the first time for the reaction of 4‐hydroxy‐3‐hexanone (CH₃CH₂C(O)CH(OH)CH₂CH₃) with OH radicals as a function of temperature. Experimental studies were carried out using two techniques. Absolute rate coefficients were measured using a cryogenically cooled cell coupled to the pulsed laser photolysis‐laser‐induced fluorescence technique with temperature and pressure ranges of 280‐365 K and 5‐80 Torr, respectively. Relative values of the studied reaction were measured under atmospheric pressure in the range of 298‐354 K by using a simulation chamber coupled to a FT‐IR spectrometer. In addition, the reaction of 4H3H with OH radicals was studied theoretically by using the density functional theory method over the range of 278‐350 K. Results show that H‐atom abstraction occurs more favorably from the C–H bound adjacent to the hydroxyl group with small barrier height. Theoretical rate coefficients are in good agreement with the experimental data. A slight negative temperature dependence was observed in both theoretical and experimental works. Overall, the results are deliberated in terms of structure–reactivity relationship and atmospheric implications.     

Testing the performance of density functionals for the calculation of energetic properties of complex-forming radical-molecule reactions

The performance of some popular and some more recent density functional methods for the calculation of energies of stationary points on the potential surfaces of radical-molecule reactions was examined. The functionals studied are B3-LYP, BH&H, BH&H-LYP, MPW1K, MPWB1K, TPSS, TPSSh, BB1K, M05 and M05-2X, in conjunction with nine different AO basis sets. The reaction energies, barrier heights and the relative energies of the pre-and post-reaction complexes were compared with those obtained at the CCSD(T)/CBS limit for the reactions of OH radicals with HOOH and CH₃OOH. Very poor barrier heights are provided by the B3-LYP, TPSS and TPSSh functionals. The best overall performance was obtained with the BB1K, MPW1K and MPWB1K functionals. In these reactions all of the studied functionals provide converged results only if they are used with large basis sets like aug-cc-pVTZ and def2-TZVP. The data show that before relying on a functional for a specific reaction, it is desirable to make some test calculations on the performance. The same functional can predict some relative energies very well and some others very poorly even in systems including chemically similar reactants.