Experimental and modeling study of the oxidation of 1‐butyne and 2‐butyne

Ignition delays were measured behind shock waves in the cases of hydrocarbon–oxygen–argon mixtures containing 1‐butyne or 2‐butyne (1 or 2% of hydrocarbons for equivalence ratios from 0.5 to 2). Reflected shock waves permitted to obtain temperatures from 1100 to 1600 K and pressures from 6.3 to 9.1 atm. A detailed mechanism of the reactions of 1‐butyne and 2‐butyne has been explained in the line of the mechanism developed previously for the reaction of C₃–C₄ unsaturated hydrocarbons (propyne, allene, 1,3‐butadiene) [Int J chem Kin 1999, 31, 361]. It is based on the most recent kinetic data values published in the literature and is consistent with thermochemistry. This mechanism has been validated by comparing the results of our simulations to the experimental results obtained for ignition delays in our shock tube and to measurements of species obtained during thermal decomposition [Int J Chem Kin 1995, 27, 321; J Phys Chem 1993, 97, 10977]. The main reaction pathways have been derived from flow‐rate and sensitivity analyses. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 172–183, 2002; DOI 10.1002/kin.10035     

Experimental and modeling study of the oxidation of cyclohexene

Ignition delays of cyclohexene–oxygen–argon mixtures were measured behind shock. Mixtures contained 1 or 2% of hydrocarbons for equivalence ratios ranging from 0.5 to 2. Reflected shock waves permitted to obtain temperatures from 1050 to 1520 K and pressures from 7.7 to 9.1 atm. The experimental results exhibit an Arrhenius variation vs. temperature. A detailed mechanism of the combustion of cyclohexene has been written in the line of the mechanism developed previously for the reaction of C₃? C₄ unsaturated hydrocarbons (propyne, allene, 1,3‐butadiene, butynes); it is based on recent kinetic data values published in the literature and is consistent with thermochemistry. This mechanism has been validated by comparing the results of the simulations to the experimental results obtained for ignition delays. The main reaction pathways have been derived from flow rate and sensitivity analyses for the different temperature areas studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 273–285, 2003     

Thermal decomposition of 1,2 butadiene

The thermal decomposition of 1,2 butadiene has been studied behind reflected shock waves over the temperature and total pressure ranges of 1300–2000 K and 0.20–0.55 atm using mixtures of 3% and 4.3% 1,2 butadiene in Ne. The major products of the pyrolysis are C₂H₂, C₄H₂, C₂H₄, CH₄ and C₆H₆. Toluene was observed as a minor product in a narrow temperature range of 1500–1700 K. In order to model successfully the product profiles which were obtained by time-of-flight mass spectrometry, it was necessary to include the isomerization reaction of 1,2 to 1,3 butadiene. A reaction mechanism consisting of 74 reaction steps and 28 species was formulated to model the time and temperature dependence of major products obtained during the course of decomposition. The importance of C₃H₃ in the formation of benzene is demonstrated.     

High‐temperature kinetics of the reaction between CN and hydrocarbons using a novel high‐enthalpy flow tube

More than 70 molecules of varied nature have been identified in the envelopes of carbon‐rich stars through their spectral fingerprints in the microwave or far infrared regions. Many of them are carbon chain molecules and radicals, and a significant number are unique to the circumstellar medium. The determination of relevant laboratory kinetics data is critical to keep up with the development of the high spectral and spatial resolution observations and of the refinement of chemical models. Neutral–neutral reactions of the CN radical with unsaturated hydrocarbons could be a dominant route in the formation of cyanopolyynes, even at low temperatures and deserve a detailed laboratory investigation. The approach we have developed aims to bridge the temperature gap between resistively heated flow tubes and shock tubes. The present kinetic measurements are obtained using a new reactor combining a high‐enthalpy source with a flow tube and a pulsed laser photolysis–laser‐induced fluorescence system to probe the undergoing chemical reactions. The high‐enthalpy flow tube has been used to measure the rate constant of the reaction of the CN radical with propane (C₃H₈), propene (C₃H₆), allene (C₃H₄), 1,3‐butadiene (1,3‐C₄H₆), and 1‐butyne (C₄H₆) over a temperature range extending from 300 to 1200 K. All studied reactions of CN with unsaturated hydrocarbons are rapid, with rate coefficients greater than 10^?10 cm³ · molecule^?1 · s^?1 and exhibit slight negative temperature dependence above room temperature. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 753–766, 2012     

Formation of H and D atoms in pyrolysis of 1,3-butadiene and 1,3 butadiene-1,1,4,4,-d4 behind shock waves

Highly dilute mixtures of 1,3-butadiene and 1,3-butadiene-1,1,4,4-d₄ were pyrolyzed behind reflected and incident shock waves, respectively. Concentrations of H and D atoms were measured by resonance absorption spectroscopy. In the early stages of the reaction, nearly equal amounts of H and D were formed from CD₂CHCHCD₂, indicating that loss of H from C₂ followed by loss of D from C₁ is a more important reaction than breaking of the central C? C bond. Overall, rate constants for atom-forming reactions are much slower than rate constants for disappearance of butadiene in earlier experiments, suggesting that most of the butadiene disappears by processes that do not involve H or D atoms or by radicals that produce them rapidly.     

Diradical mechanisms for the cycloaddition reactions of 1,3-butadiene,benzene, thiophene,ethylene, and acetylene on a Si(111)-7x7 surface

The cycloaddition chemistry of several representative unsaturated hydrocarbons (1,3-butadiene, benzene, ethylene, and acetylene) and a heterocyclic aromatic (thiophene) on a Si(111)-7x7 surface has been explored by means of density functional cluster model calculations. It is shown that (i) 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and thiophene can undergo both [4+2]-like and [2+2]-like cycloadditions onto a rest atom-adatom pair, with the former process being favored over the latter both thermodynamically and kinetically; (ii) ethylene and acetylene undergo [2+2] cycloaddition-like chemisorptions onto a rest atom-adatom pair; and (iii) all of these reactions adopt diradical mechanisms. This is in contrast to the [4+2] cycloaddition-like chemisorptions of conjugated dienes on a Si(100) surface and to the prototype [4+2] cycloadditions in organic chemistry, which were believed to adopt concerted reaction pathways. Of particular interest is the [4+2]-like cycloaddition of s-trans-1,3-butadiene, whose stereochemistry is retained during its chemisorption on the Si(111) surface.     

Towards Structural‐Functional Mimics of Acetylene Hydratase: Reversible Activation of Acetylene using a Biomimetic Tungsten Complex

The synthesis and characterization of a biomimetic system that can reversibly bind acetylene (ethyne) is reported. The system has been designed to mimic catalytic intermediates of the tungstoenzyme acetylene hydratase. The thiophenyloxazoline ligand S‐Phoz (2‐(4′,4′‐dimethyloxazolin‐2′‐yl)thiophenolate) is used to generate a bioinspired donor environment around the W center, facilitating the stabilization of W–acetylene adducts. The featured complexes [W(C₂H₂)(CO)(S‐Phoz)₂] ( 2 ) and [WO(C₂H₂)(S‐Phoz)₂] ( 3 ) are extremely rare from a synthetic and structural point of view as very little is known about W–C₂H₂ adducts. Upon exposure to visible light, 3 can release C₂H₂ from its coordination sphere to yield the 14‐electron species [WO(S‐Phoz)₂] ( 4 ). Under light‐exclusion 4 re‐activates C₂H₂ making this the first fully characterized system for the reversible activation of acetylene.     

Recognition of 1,3‐Butadiene by a Porous Coordination Polymer

The separation of 1,3‐butadiene from C₄ hydrocarbon mixtures is imperative for the production of synthetic rubbers, and there is a need for a more economical separation method, such as a pressure swing adsorption process. With regard to adsorbents that enable C₄ gas separation, [Zn(NO₂ip)(dpe)]_n (SD‐65; NO₂ip=5‐nitroisophthalate, dpe=1,2‐di(4‐pyridyl)ethylene) is a promising porous material because of its structural flexibility and restricted voids, which provide unique guest‐responsive accommodation. The 1,3‐butadiene‐selective sorption profile of SD‐65 was elucidated by adsorption isotherms, in situ PXRD, and SSNMR studies and was further investigated by multigas separation and adsorption–desorption‐cycle experiments for its application to separation technology.     

An unusual oligomerization/oxidation reaction of a 3‐boron‐substituted 1‐phenylbuta‐1,3‐diene produces 6,9,16,19‐tetraphenyl‐5,15‐distyryl‐3,13,25,26‐tetraoxa‐2,12‐diborapentacyclo[16.2.2.28,11.12,5.112,15]hexacosa‐1(20),7,10,17‐tetraene

The unusual title macrocyclic structure, C₆₀H₅₄B₂O₄, has been isolated from exposure of 3‐BF₃‐1‐phenylbuta‐1,3‐diene to both air and moisture in an attempt to obtain crystals of the starting butadiene compound. Formation of the macrocycle from six molecules of the starting butadiene material is rationalized and its structural features are compared with those of other B(OR)₂‐substituted cyclohexane and benzene ring containing structures. Molecules reside on crystallographic centers of inversion and there are no intermolecular interactions of note in the crystal structure.     

The first example of a two‐coordinated AuI atom bonded to an FeII atom and an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand

The aurophilicity exhibited by Au^I complexes depends strongly on the nature of the supporting ligands present and the length of the Au–element (Au—E) bond may be used as a measure of the donor–acceptor properties of the coordinated ligands. A binuclear iron–gold complex, [1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene‐2κC²]dicarbonyl‐1κ²C‐(1η⁵‐cyclopentadienyl)gold(I)iron(II)(Au—Fe) benzene trisolvate, [AuFe(C₅H₅)(C₂₇H₃₆N₂)(CO)₂]·3C₆H₆, was prepared by reaction of K[CpFe(CO)₂] (Cp is cyclopentadienyl) with (NHC)AuCl [NHC = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene]. In addition to the binuclear complex, the asymmetric unit contains three benzene solvent molecules. This is the first example of a two‐coordinated Au atom bonded to an Fe and a C atom of an N‐heterocyclic carbene.     

Experimental and modeling study of the oxidation of benzene

This paper describes an experimental and modeling study of the oxidation of benzene. The low‐temperature oxidation was studied in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor with carbon‐containing products analyzed by gas chromatography. The following experimental conditions were used: 923 K, 1 atm, fuel equivalence ratios from 1.9 to 3.6, concentrations of benzene from 4 to 4.5%, and residence times ranging from 1 to 10 s corresponding to benzene conversion yields from 6 to 45%. The ignition delays of benzene–oxygen–argon mixtures with fuel equivalence ratios from 1 to 3 were measured behind shock waves. Reflected shock waves permitted to obtain temperatures from 1230 to 1970 K and pressures from 6.5 to 9.5 atm. A detailed mechanism has been proposed and allows us to reproduce satisfactorily our experimental results, as well as some data of the literature obtained in other conditions, such as in a plug flow reactor or in a laminar premixed flame. The main reaction paths have been determined for the four series of measurements by sensitivity and flux analyses. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 503–524, 2003     

Gas‐Phase Synthesis of the Benzyl Radical (C6H5CH2)

Dicarbon (C₂), the simplest bare carbon molecule, is ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and in combustion flames. A gas‐phase synthesis is presented of the benzyl radical (C₆H₅CH₂) by the crossed molecular beam reaction of dicarbon, C₂(X¹Σ_g⁺, a³Π_u), with 2‐methyl‐1,3‐butadiene (isoprene; C₅H₈; X¹A′) accessing the triplet and singlet C₇H₈ potential energy surfaces (PESs) under single collision conditions. The experimental data combined with ab initio and statistical calculations reveal the underlying reaction mechanism and chemical dynamics. On the singlet and triplet surfaces, the reactions involve indirect scattering dynamics and are initiated by the barrierless addition of dicarbon to the carbon–carbon double bond of the 2‐methyl‐1,3‐butadiene molecule. These initial addition complexes rearrange via multiple isomerization steps, leading eventually to the formation of C₇H₇ radical species through atomic hydrogen elimination. The benzyl radical (C₆H₅CH₂), the thermodynamically most stable C₇H₇ isomer, is determined as the major product.     

Hydrogen Abstraction/Acetylene Addition Revealed

For almost half a century, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been proposed to play a key role in the astrochemical evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) and in the chemistry of combustion systems. However, even the most fundamental reaction mechanism assumed to lead to the simplest PAH naphthalene—the hydrogen abstraction–acetylene addition (HACA) mechanism—has eluded experimental observation. Here, by probing the phenylacetylene (C₈H₆) intermediate together with naphthalene (C₁₀H₈) under combustion‐like conditions by photo‐ionization mass spectrometry, the very first direct experimental evidence for the validity of the HACA mechanism which so far had only been speculated theoretically is reported.     

Thermal decomposition of 1-butyne in shock waves

1-Butyne diluted with Ar was heated behind reflected shock waves over the temperature range of 1100–1600 K and the total density range of 1.36 × 10^?5?1.75 × 10^?5 mol/cm³. Reaction products were analyzed by gas-chromatography. The progress of the reaction was followed by IR laser kinetic absorption spectroscopy. The products were CH₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, allene, propyne, C₄H₂, vinylacetyiene, 1,2- butadiene, 1,3-butadiene, and benzene. The present data were successfully modeled with a 80 reaction mechanism. 1-Butyne was found to isomerize to 1,2-butadiene. The initial decomposition was dominated by 1-butyne → C₃H₃ + CH₃ under these conditions. Rate constant expressions were derived for the decomposition to be k₇ = 3.0 × 10¹⁵ exp(?75800 cal/RT) s^?1 and for the isomerization to be k₄ = 2.5 × 10¹³ exp(?65000 cal/RT) s^?1. The activation energy 75.8 kcal/mol was cited from literature value and the activation energy 65 kcal/mol was assumed. These rate constant expressions are applicable under the present experimental conditions, 1100–1600 K and 1.23–2.30 atm. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Unexpected Chemistry from the Reaction of Naphthyl and Acetylene at Combustion‐Like Temperatures

The hydrogen abstraction/acetylene addition (HACA) mechanism has long been viewed as a key route to aromatic ring growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in combustion systems. However, doubt has been drawn on the ubiquity of the mechanism by recent electronic structure calculations which predict that the HACA mechanism starting from the naphthyl radical preferentially forms acenaphthylene, thereby blocking cyclization to a third six‐membered ring. Here, by probing the products formed in the reaction of 1‐ and 2‐naphthyl radicals in excess acetylene under combustion‐like conditions with the help of photoionization mass spectrometry, we provide experimental evidence that this reaction produces 1‐ and 2‐ethynylnaphthalenes (C₁₂H₈), acenaphthylene (C₁₂H₈) and diethynylnaphthalenes (C₁₄H₈). Importantly, neither phenanthrene nor anthracene (C₁₄H₁₀) was found, which indicates that the HACA mechanism does not lead to cyclization of the third aromatic ring as expected but rather undergoes ethynyl substitution reactions instead.     

Detailed kinetics of cyclopentadiene decomposition studied in a shock tube

Mixtures of cyclopentadiene diluted with argon were used to investigate its decomposition pattern in a single pulse shock tube. The temperatures ranged from 1080 to 1550 K and pressures behind the shock were between 1.7–9.6 atm. The cyclopentadiene concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 2%. Gas-chromatographic analysis was used to determine the product distribution. The main products in order of abundance were acetylene, ethylene, methane, allene, propyne, butadiene, propylene, and benzene. The decomposition of cyclopentadiene was simulated with a kinetic scheme containing 44 species and 144 elementary reactions. This was later reduced to only 36 reactions. The ring opening process of the cyclopentadienyl radical was found to be the crucial step in the mechanism. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 29: 505–514, 1997.     

Hydrogen‐Abstraction/Acetylene‐Addition Exposed

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are omnipresent in the interstellar medium (ISM) and also in carbonaceous meteorites (CM) such as Murchison. However, the basic reaction routes leading to the formation of even the simplest PAH—naphthalene (C₁₀H₈)—via the hydrogen‐abstraction/acetylene‐addition (HACA) mechanism still remain ambiguous. Here, by revealing the uncharted fundamental chemistry of the styrenyl (C₈H₇) and the ortho‐vinylphenyl radicals (C₈H₇)—key transient species of the HACA mechanism—with acetylene (C₂H₂), we provide the first solid experimental evidence on the facile formation of naphthalene in a simulated combustion environment validating the previously postulated HACA mechanism for these two radicals. This study highlights, at the molecular level spanning combustion and astrochemistry, the importance of the HACA mechanism to the formation of the prototype PAH naphthalene.     

The Effect of Cluster Size on the Intra-Cluster Ionic Polymerization Process

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread in the interstellar medium (ISM). The abundance and relevance of PAHs call for a clear understanding of their formation mechanisms, which, to date, have not been completely deciphered. Of particular interest is the formation of benzene, the basic building block of PAHs. It has been shown that the ionization of neutral clusters can lead to an intra-cluster ionic polymerization process that results in molecular growth. Ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) studies in clusters consisting of 3–6 units of acetylene modeling ionization events under ISM conditions have shown maximum aggregation of three acetylene molecules forming bonded C₆H₆⁺ species; the larger the number of acetylene molecules, the higher the production of C₆H₆⁺. These results lead to the question of whether clusters larger than those studied thus far promote aggregation beyond three acetylene units and whether larger clusters can result in higher C₆H₆⁺ production. In this study, we report results from AIMD simulations modeling the ionization of 10 and 20 acetylene clusters. The simulations show aggregation of up to four acetylene units producing bonded C₈H₈⁺. Interestingly, C₈H₈⁺ bicyclic species were identified, setting a precedent for their astrochemical identification. Comparable reactivity rates were shown with 10 and 20 acetylene clusters.     

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