Thermal reaction of CH2O with NO2 in the temperature range of 393–476 K: FTIR product measurement and kinetic modeling

The thermal reaction of CH₂O with NO₂ has been investigated in the temperature range of 393–476 K by means of FTIR product analysis. Kinetic modeling of the measured CH₂O, NO, CO, and CO₂ concentration time profiles under varying reaction conditions gave rise to the rate constants for the following key reactions: (1) and (2) The error limits shown represent only the scatter (±1 σ) of the modeled values. In the modeling, the total rate constant for the CHO + NO₂ reaction, k₂ + k₃, was not varied and the value reported by Gutman and co-workers (ref. [8]) was used for the whole temperature range investigated here. The proposed reaction mechanism, employing these newly established rate constants, can quantitively account for nearly all measured product yields, including the [CO]/([CO] + [CO₂]) ratios reported by earlier workers.     

Effects of nitric oxide on the thermal decomposition of methyl nitrite: Overall kinetics and rate constants for the HNO + HNO and HNO + 2NO reactions

The effects of NO on the decomposition of CH₃ONO have been investigated in the temperature range 450–520 K at a constant pressure of 710 torr using He as buffer gas. The measured time-dependent concentration profiles of CH₃ONO, NO, N₂O, and CH₂O can be quantitatively accounted for with a general mechanism consisting of various reactions of CH₃O, HNO, and (HNO)₂. The results of kinetic modeling with sensitivity analyses indicate that the disappearance rate of CH₃ONO is weakly affected by NO addition, whereas that of the HNO intermediate strongly altered by the added NO. In the presence of low NO concentrations, the modeling of N₂O yields leads to the rate constant for the bimolecular reaction, HNO + HNO → N₂O + H₂O (25): In the presence of high NO concentrations (P_NO > 50 torr), the modeling of CH₂O yields gives the rate constant for the termolecular radical formation channel, HNO + 2NO → HN₂O + NO₂ (35): Discussion on the mechanisms for reactions (25) and (35), and the alkyl homolog of (35), RNO + 2NO, is presented herein. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The reaction of ammonia with nitrogen dioxide in a flow reactor: Implications for the NH2 + NO2 reaction

The NH₃/NO₂ system has been investigated experimentally in an isothermal flow reactor in the temperature range 850–1350 K. The experimental data were interpreted in terms of a detailed reaction mechanism. The flow reactor results, supported by a theoretical analysis of the NH₂? NO₂ complex, suggest that the NH₂ + NO₂ reaction has two major product channels, both proceeding without activation barriers: Our findings indicate that the N₂O + H₂O channel is dominant at low temperatures while H₂NO + NO dominates at high temperatures. The rate constant for reaction (R21) is estimated to be 3.5 · 10¹² cm³/mol-s in the temperature range studied with an uncertainty of a factor of 3. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Thermal reduction of NO by H2: Kinetic measurement and computer modeling of the HNO + NO reaction

The kinetics and mechanism of the thermal reduction of NO by H₂ have been investigated by FTIR spectrometry in the temperature range of 900 to 1225 K at a constant pressure of 700 torr using mixtures of varying NO/H₂ ratios. In about half of our experimental runs, CO was introduced to capture the OH radical formed in the system with the well-known, fast reaction, OH + CO → H + CO₂. The rates of NO decay and CO₂ formation were kinetically modeled to extract the rate constant for the rate-controlling step, (2) HNO + NO → N₂O + OH. Combining the modeled values with those from the computer simulation of earlier kinetic data reported by Hinshelwood and co-workers (refs. [3] and [4]), Graven (ref.[5]), and Kaufman and Decker (ref. [6]) gives rise to the following expression: . This encompasses 45 data points and covers the temperature range of 900 to 1425 K. RRKM calculations based on the latest ab initio MO results indicate that the reaction is controlled by the addition/stabilization processes forming the HN(O)NO intermediate at low temperatures and by the addition/isomerization/decomposition processes producing N₂O + OH above 900 K. The calculated value of k₂ agrees satisfactorily with the experimental result. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the reaction H + CH3ONO

The reaction of hydrogen atoms with methyl nitrite was studied in a fast-flow system using photoionization mass spectrometry and excess atomic hydrogen. The associated bimolecular rate coefficient can be expressed by in the temperature range of 223-398°K. NO, CH₃OH, CH₄, C₂H₆, CH₂O, and H₂O are the main products; OH and CH₃ radicals were detectable intermediates. The mechanism was deduced from the observed product yields using normal and deuterated reactants. The primary reaction steps were identified as followed by a rapid unimolecular decomposition of CH₂ONO into CH₂O and NO. Since the extent of reaction channel (1b) could not be determined independently, only extreme limits could be obtained for the individual contributions of the two channels of reaction (3) which follows the generation of CH₃O radicals: The most probable values, k_3a/k₃ = 0.31 ± 0.30 and k_3b/k₃ = 0.69 ± 0.30, support the previous results on this reaction, although the range of uncertainties is much greater here.     

Flow reactor studies and kinetic modeling of the H2/O2/NOX and CO/H2O/O2/NOX reactions

Flow reactor experiments were performed over wide ranges of pressure (0.5–14.0 atm) and temperature (750–1100 K) to study H₂/O₂ and CO/H₂O/O₂ kinetics in the presence of trace quantities of NO and NO₂. The promoting and inhibiting effects of NO reported previously at near atmospheric pressures extend throughout the range of pressures explored in the present study. At conditions where the recombination reaction H + O₂ (+M) = HO₂ (+M) is favored over the competing branching reaction, low concentrations of NO promote H₂ and CO oxidation by converting HO₂ to OH. In high concentrations, NO can also inhibit oxidative processes by catalyzing the recombination of radicals. The experimental data show that the overall effects of NO addition on fuel consumption and conversion of NO to NO₂ depend strongly on pressure and stoichiometry. The addition of NO₂ was also found to promote H₂ and CO oxidation but only at conditions where the reacting mixture first promoted the conversion of NO₂ to NO. Experimentally measured profiles of H₂, CO, CO₂, NO, NO₂, O₂, H₂O, and temperature were used to constrain the development of a detailed kinetic mechanism consistent with the previously studied H₂/O₂, CO/H₂O/O₂, H₂/NO₂, and CO/H₂O/N₂O systems. Model predictions generated using the reaction mechanism presented here are in good agreement with the experimental data over the entire range of conditions explored. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 31: 705–724, 1999     

The pyrolysis of acetaldehyde in the presence of nitric oxide

The kinetics of the acetaldehyde pyrolysis have been studied at temperatures from 450° to 525°C, at an acetaldehyde pressure of 176 torr and at 0 to 40 torr of added nitric oxide. The following products were identified and their rates of formation measured: CH₄, H₂, CO, CO₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, H₂O, C₃H₆, C₂H₅CHO, CH₃COCH₃, CH₃COOCH?CH₂, N₂, N₂O, HCN, CH₃NCO, and C₂H₅NCO. Acetaldehyde vapor was found to react with nitric oxide slowly in the dark at room temperature, the products being H₂O, CH₃COOCH₃, CO, CO₂, N₂, NO₂, HCN, CH₃NO₂, and CH₃ONO₂. The rates of formation of N₂ and C₂H₅NCO depend on how long the CH₃CHO-NO mixture is kept at room temperature before pyrolysis; the rates of formation of the other products depend only slightly on the mixing period. The pyrolysis of “clean” CH₃CHO–NO mixtures (i.e., the results extrapolated to zero mixing time, which are independent of products formed in the cold reaction) are interpreted as follows: (1) There are two chain carriers, CH₃ and CH₂CHO, their concentrations being interdependent and influenced by NO in different ways: the CH₃ radical is both generated and removed by reactions directly involving NO, whereas CH₂CHO is generated only indirectly from CH₃ but is also removed by direct reaction with NO. (2) An important mode of initiation by NO is its addition to the carbonyl group with the formation of which is converted into ; this splits off OH with the formation of CH₃NCO or CH₃ + OCN. (3) Important modes of termination are The steady-state equations derived from the mechanism are shown to give a good fit to the experimental rate versus [NO] curves and, in particular, explain why there is enhancement of rate by NO at higher CH₃CHO pressures and, at lower CH₃CHO pressures, inhibition at low [NO] followed by enhancement at higher [NO]. The cold reaction is explained in terms of chain-propagating and chain-branching steps resulting from the addition of several NO molecules to CH₃CHO and the CH₃CO radical. In the “unclean” reaction it is found that the rates of N₂ and C₂N₅NCO formation are increased by CH₃NO₂, CH₃ONO, and CH₃ONO₂ formed during the cold reaction. A mechanism is proposed, involving the participation of α-nitrosoethyl nitrite, CH₃CH(NO)ONO. It is suggested that there are two modes of behavior in pyrolyses in the presence of NO: (1) In the paraffins, ethers, and ketones, the effects are attributed to the addition of NO to a radical with the formation of an oxime-like compound. (2) In the aldehydes and alkenes, where there is a hydrogen atom attached to a double-bonded carbon atom, the behavior is explained in terms of addition of NO to the double bond followed by the formation of an oxime-like species.     

Thermal reaction of HNCO with NO2 at moderate temperatures

The thermal reaction of HNCO with NO₂ has been studied in the temperature range of 623 to 773 K by FTIR spectrometry. Major products measured are CO₂ and NO with a small amount of N₂O. Kinetic modeling of the time resolved concentration profiles of the reactants and products, aided by the thermochemical data of various likely reactive intermediates computed by means of the BAC-MP4 method, allows us to conclude that the reaction is initiated exclusively by a new bimolecular process: with a rate constant, k₁ = 2.5 × 10¹²e^?13,100/T cm³/mols. The well-known bimolecular reaction is the only strong competitive process in this important reactive system throughout the temperature range studied. Kinetic modeling of NO formation and NO₂ decay rates gave rise to values of k₁₀ which were in close agreement with literature data. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The dynamics of reactions of O(3P) atoms with allene and methylacetylene

The reactions of O(³P) atoms with allene and methylacetylene: O+CH₂=C=CH₂

CO+C₂H₄,ΔH₁⁰ = ?119.4 kcal/mole, O+CH₃-C

CH

CO+C₂H₄,ΔH₂⁰ = ?117.8 kcal/mole were studied at 293 K with a CO laser resonant absorption and a discharge-flow GC-sampling method. The CO formed in reaction (1) was found to have a vibrational temperature of 5100 ± 100 K, compared with 2400 ± 200 K in (2). The good agreement between the observed CO vibrational distributions and those predicted by simple statistical models indicates that the reaction energies were completely randomized.The present results also showed unambiguously that CH₃CH, instead of C₂H₄, was produced initially in reaction (2).     

An FTIR product study of the reaction between HCO and NO2

The product distribution of the reaction (1a) $$\rm\longrightarrow OH+NO+CO$$ (1b) $$\rm\longrightarrow HNO+CO_{2}$$ (1c) $$\rm\longrightarrow H+NO+CO_{2}$$ (1d) $$\rm\longrightarrow HCO_{2}+NO$$ (1e) (1f) (1g) was investigated at room temperature in the gas phase in Ar buffer gas at 570 mbar pressure by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Mixtures of NO₂/H₂CO/Ar were photolyzed under stationary conditions using a high‐pressure Hg lamp at λ = 300–340 nm. NO, CO, CO₂, HONO, and H₂O were found as major reaction products. A small amount of N₂O was detected at long reaction times. From the yields of CO and CO₂, branching ratios were found to be (k_1a + k_1b)/k₁ = (0.66 ± 0.10) and (k_1c + k_1d + k_1e)/k₁ = (0.34 ± 0.10). The formation of HONO was attributed to reaction ( 1a ) and/or reaction ( 1c ) followed by the reaction HNO + NO₂ → NO + HONO with a combined branching ratio of (k_1a + k_1c)/k₁ = (0.28 ± 0.10). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 136–145, 2000     

Absolute rate constants for the reactions of O(3P) atoms and OH radicals with SiH4 over the temperature range of 297–438°K

Absolute rate constants for the reaction of SiH₄ with O(³P) atoms and OH radicals have been determined over the temperature range 297°–438°K using flash photolysis–NO₂ chemiluminescence and flash photolysis–resonance fluorescence techniques, respectively. The Arrhenius expressions obtained are where the error limits in the Arrhenius activation energies are the estimated overall error limits. Rate data for the reactions of SiH₄, CH₄, and H₂S with O(³P), H, and F atoms and with OH, CH₃, and CF₃ radicals are compared, showing that H₂S and SiH₄, which have similar bond energies, have reasonably similar reactivities toward these atoms and radicals.     

The effect of temperature on formaldehyde photooxidation in oxygen-lean atmospheres

The photooxidation of formaldehyde in CH₂O? O₂, oxygen-lean mixtures was studied in the temperature range 298–378 K. H₂ and CO formation and the loss of O₂ proceed by a chain mechanism, which between 328 and 378 K follows the previously suggested kinetics [1] with one modification. The reaction HO₂ + CH₂O ? HO₂CH₂O (5) is now assumed to be reversible and ΔH is estimated to be between 14 and 19 kcal/mol. The relative yields of the chain formed H₂ and CO and of the consumed O₂ remained constant over the entire temperature range indicating that the relative efficiencies of the HO reactions: HO + CH₂O → H₂O HCO? (7), HO + CH₂O → H₂O + HCO (8) and HO + CH₂O → HOCH₂O (9) are temperature independent.     

Kinetics of reactions between methoxycarbonyl,methyl, and methoxy radicals formed in flash photolysis of dimethyl oxalate in gas phase

Flash photolysis of dimethyl oxalate produced the radicals CH₃, CH₃O, and COOCH₃. Thermally equilibrated methoxycarbonyl radicals did not decompose during radicalradical reactions in the presence of 40-torr cyclohexane in the temperature range 298–448 K. Cyclohexyl radicals were also generated during the flash photolysis of the reaction mixture. Rate coefficients of radical–radical reactions were calculated from the amounts of stable products determined by gas chromatography: CO, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, CH₂O, CH₃OH, CH₃OCH₃, HCOOCH₃, CH₃COOCH₃, CH₃OCOOCH₃, CH₃C₆H₁₁, and CH₃OC₆H₁₁. Calculations were performed using an iterative computer integration program. Absolute values of rate coefficients were based on the rate coefficient of the reaction between methyl radicals, k₁ = 2.7 × 10¹⁰ dm³ mol^?1 s^?1, measured with the same equipment. The rate coefficients for reactions (5)–(8) are:      

A flash photolysis study of the rate of the reaction OH + CH4 → CH3 + H2O over an extended temperature range

A flash photolysis system has been used to study the rate of reaction (1), OH + CH₄ → CH₃ + H₂O, using time-resolved resonance absorption to monitor OH. The temperature was varied between 300 and 900°K. It is found that the Arrhenius plot of k₁ is strongly curved and k₁ (T) can best be represented by the expression The apparent Arrhenius activation energy changes from 15±1 kJ/mole at 300°K to 32±2 kJ/mole at 1000°K. On either side of our temperature range, both absolute rates and their temperature dependence are in good agreement with the results from most previous investigations.     

Vibration–vibration energy exchange between 15N14NO and CO

The temperature dependence of the vibration–vibration energy transfer between the v₃ mode of ¹⁵N¹⁴NO and the first vibrational level of CO was determined over a range of 680 to 1300°K using a shock tube. Several mixtures of ¹⁵N¹⁴NO? CO were tested, diluted in 95% Ar. The resulting exothermic transfer probabilities for the reaction, are compared to previous work on N₂O—CO. The results for ¹⁵N¹⁴NO? CO exhibit a more pronounced direct temperature dependence than for N₂O—CO even though the process has a closer resonance (ΔE = 59 cm^?1 for ¹⁵N¹⁴NO? CO and ΔE = 81 cm^?1 for N₂O? CO).     

The reaction of OH with NO2 and the deactivation of O(1D) by CO

NO₂ was photolyzed with 2288 Å radiation at 300° and 423°K in the presence of H₂O, CO, and in some cases excess He. The photolysis produces O(¹D) atoms which react with H₂O to give HO radicals or are deactivated by CO to O(³P) atoms The ratio k₅/k₃ is temperature dependent, being 0.33 at 300°K and 0.60 at 423°K. From these two points, the Arrhenius expression is estimated to be k₅/k₃ = 2.6 exp(?1200/RT) where R is in cal/mole – °K. The OH radical is either removed by NO₂ or reacts with CO The ratio k₂/k^α is 0.019 at 300°K and 0.027 at 423°K, and the ratio k₂/k⁰ is 1.65 × 10^?5M at 300°K and 2.84 × 10^?5M at 423°K, with H₂O as the chaperone gas, where k^α = k₁ in the high-pressure limit and k⁰[M] = k₁ in the low-pressure limit. When combined with the value of k₂ = 4.2 × 10⁸ exp(?1100/RT) M^?1sec^?1, k^α = 6.3 × 10⁹ exp (?340/RT)M^?1sec^?1 and k⁰ = 4.0 × 10¹²M^?2sec^?1, independent of temperature for H₂O as the chaperone gas. He is about 1/8 as efficient as H₂O.     

A shock-tube study of the kinetics of reaction of hydroxyl radicals with H2, CO,CH4, CF3H,C2H4, and C2H6

Concentration-time profiles have been measured for hydroxyl radicals generated by the shock-tube decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a variety of additives. At temperatures close to 1300°K the rate constants for the reaction are found to be in the ratio 0.18:0.19:0.59:1.00:2.33:2.88 for the additives CO:CF₃H:H₂:CH₄:C₂H₄:C₂H₆, respectively.     

Transient oxygen atom yields in H2?O2 ignition and the rate coefficient for O + H2 → OH + H

Time-resolved measurements of the oxygen atom concentration during shock-wave initiated combustion of low-density (25 ≤ p ≤ 175 kPa) H₂? O₂? CO? CO₂? Ar mixtures have been made by monitoring CO + O → CO₂ + hv (3 to 4 eV) emission intensity, calibrated against partial equilibrium conditions attained promptly at H₂:O₂ = 1. Significant transient excursions (“spikes”) of [O] above constant-mole-number partial-equilibrium levels were found from 1400 to 2000°K for initial H₂:O₂ ratios of 16 and 10 and below ± 1780°K for H₂:O₂ = 6; they did not occur in this range for H₂:O₂ ± 4. Numerical treatment of the H₂? O₂? CO ignition mechanism for our conditions showed [O] to follow a steady-state trajectory governed by large production and consumption rates from the reactions with a pronounced maximum in the production term k_a[H][O₂]. The measured spike concentration data determine k_b/k_a = 3.6 ± 20%, independent of temperature over 1400 ≤ T ≤ 1900°K, which with well-established k_a data yields This result reinforces the higher of several recent combustion-temperature determinations, and its correlation with results below 1000°K produces a distinctly concave upward Arrhenius plot which is closely matched by BEBO transition state calculations.     

Reactions of alkoxy radicals with O2. I. C2H5O radicals

C₂H₅ONO was photolyzed with 366 nm radiation at ?48, ?22, ?2.5, 23, 55, 88, and 120°C in a static system in the presence of NO, O₂, and N₂. The quantum yield of CH₃CHO, Φ{CH₃CHO}, was measured as a function of reaction conditions. The primary photochemical act is and it proceeds with a quantum yield ?_1a = 0.29 ± 0.03 independent of temperature. The C₂H₅O radicals can react with NO by two routes The C₂H₅O radical can also react with O₂ via Values of k₆/k₂ were determined at each temperature. They fit the Arrhenius expression: Log(k₆/k₂) = ?2.17 ± 0.14 ? (924 ± 94)/2.303 T. For k₂ ? 4.4 × 10^?11 cm³/s, k₆ becomes (3.0 ± 1.0) × 10^?13 exp{?(924 ± 94)/T} cm³/s. The reaction scheme also provides k_8a/k₈ = 0.43 ± 0.13, where      

The formaldehyde decomposition chain mechanism

A kinetic mechanism for the chain decomposition of formaldehyde consistent with recent theoretical and experimental results is presented. This includes new calculations and measurements of the rate constant for the abstraction reaction The calculation uses a multi-reference configuration interaction wavefunction to construct the potential energy surface which is used in a tunneling-corrected TST calculation of the rate constant. The rate constant for the bond fission at high temperatures was determined by an RRKM extrapolation of direct low temperature measurements. This mechanism has been successfully tested against laser-schlieren measurements covering the temperature range 2200–3200 K. These measurements are insensitive to all but the above two reactions and they confirm the large, non-Arrhenius rate for the abstraction reaction derived here from theory. Modeling of previous experiments using IR emission, ARAS, and CO laser absorption with this mechanism is quite satisfactory. The branching ratio of the rate of the faster molecular dissociation (CH₂O + (M) → CO + H₂ + (M)), to that of the bond fission reaction, was estimated to be no more than 2 or 3 over 2000 to 3000 K. Such a ratio is consistent with one recent theoretical estimate and most of the experimental observations. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.