Photolysis of CH3C(O)CH3 (248 nm, 266 nm), CH3C(O)C2H5 (248 nm) and CH3C(O)Br (248 nm): pressure dependent quantum yields of CH3 formation

The formation of CH(3) in the 248 or 266 nm photolysis of acetone (CH(3)C(O)CH(3)), 2-butanone (methylethylketone, MEK, CH(3)C(O)C(2)H(5)) and acetyl bromide (CH(3)C(O)Br) was examined using the pulsed photolytic generation of the radical and its detection by transient absorption spectroscopy at 216.4 nm. Experiments were carried out at room temperature (298 +/- 3 K) and at pressures between approximately 5 and 1500 Torr N(2). Quantum yields for CH(3) formation were derived relative to CH(3)I photolysis at the same wavelength in back-to-back experiments. For acetone at 248 nm, the yield of CH(3) was greater than unity at low pressures (1.42 +/- 0.15 extrapolated to zero pressure) confirming that a substantial fraction of the CH(3)CO co-product can dissociate to CH(3) + CO under these conditions. At pressures close to atmospheric the quantum yield approached unity, indicative of almost complete collisional relaxation of the CH(3)CO radical. Measurements of increasing CH(3)CO yield with pressure confirmed this. Contrasting results were obtained at 266 nm, where the yields of CH(3) (and CH(3)CO) were close to unity (0.93 +/- 0.1) and independent of pressure, strongly suggesting that nascent CH(3)CO is insufficiently activated to decompose on the time scales of these experiments at 298 K. In the 248 nm photolysis of CH(3)C(O)Br, CH(3) was observed with a pressure independent quantum yield of 0.92 +/- 0.1 and CH(3)CO remained below the detection limit, suggesting that CH(3)CO generated from CH(3)COBr photolysis at 248 nm is too highly activated to be quenched by collision. Similar to CH(3)C(O)CH(3), the photolysis of CH(3)C(O)C(2)H(5) at 248 nm revealed pressure dependent yields of CH(3), decreasing from 0.45 at zero pressure to 0.19 at pressures greater than 1000 Torr with a concomitant increase in the CH(3)CO yield. As part of this study, the absorption cross section of CH(3) at 216.4 nm (instrumental resolution of 0.5 nm) was measured to be (4.27 +/- 0.2) x 10(-17) cm(2) molecule(-1) and that of C(2)H(5) at 222 nm was (2.5 +/- 0.6) x 10(-18) cm(2) molecule(-1). An absorption spectrum of gas-phase CH(3)C(O)Br (210-305 nm) is also reported for the first time.     

Unimolecular reactions of the isolated immonium ions CH3CH = NH+C4H9, CH3CH2Ch = NH+C4H9 and (CH3)2C = NH+C4H9

The reactions of ten metastable immonium ions of general structure R¹R²C?NH⁺C₄H₉ (R¹ = H, R² = CH₃, C₂H₅; R¹ = R² = CH₃) are reported and discussed. Elimination of C₄H₈ is usually the dominant fragmentation pathway. This process gives rise to a Gaussian metastable peak; it is interpreted in terms of a mechanism involving ion-neutral complexes containing incipient butyl) cations. Metastable immonium ions ontaining an isobutyl group are unique in undergoing a minor amount of imine (R¹R²C?NH) loss. This decomposition route, which also produces a Gaussian metastable peak, decreases in importance as the basicity of the imine increases. The correlation between imine loss and the presence of an isobutyl group is rationalized by the rearrangement of the appropriate ion-neutral complexes in which there are isobutyl cations to the isomeric complexes containing the thermodynamically more stable tert-butyl cations. A sizeable amount of a third reaction, expulsion of C₃H₆, is observed for metastable n-C₄H₉ ⁺NH?CR¹R² ions; in contrast to C₄H₈ and R¹R²C?NH loss, C₃H₆ elimination occurs with a large kinetic energy release (40–48 kJ mol^?1) and is evidenced by a dish-topped metastable peak. This process is explained using a two-step mechanism involving a 1,5-hydride shift, followed by cleavage of the resultant secondary open-chain cations, CH₃CH⁺ CH₂CH₂NHCHR¹R².     

UV absorption spectra of HO2, CH3O2, C2H5O2, and CH3C(O)CH2O2 radicals and mechanism of the reactions of F and Cl atoms with CH3C(O)CH3

Pulse radiolysis techniques were used to measure the gas phase UV absorption spectra of the title peroxy radicals over the range 215–340 nm. By scaling to σ(CH₃O₂)_{240 nm} = (4.24 ± 0.27) × 10^?18, the following absorption cross sections were determined: σ(HO₂)_{240 nm} = 1.29 ± 0.16, σ(C₂H₅O₂)_{240 nm} = 4.71 ± 0.45, σ(CH₃C(O)CH₂O₂)_{240 nm} = 2.03 ± 0.22, σ(CH₃C(O)CH₂O₂)_{230 nm} = 2.94 ± 0.29, and σ(CH₃C(O)CH₂O₂)_{310 nm} = 1.31 ± 0.15 (base e, units of 10^?18 cm² molecule^?1). To support the UV measurements, FTIR‐smog chamber techniques were employed to investigate the reaction of F and Cl atoms with acetone. The F atom reaction proceeds via two channels: the major channel (92% ± 3%) gives CH₃C(O)CH₂ radicals and HF, while the minor channel (8% ± 1%) gives CH₃ radicals and CH₃C(O)F. The majority (>97%) of the Cl atom reaction proceeds via H atom abstraction to give CH₃C(O)CH₂ radicals. The results are discussed with respect to the literature data concerning the UV absorption spectra of CH₃C(O)CH₂O₂ and other peroxy radicals. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 283–291, 2002