Atmospheric Chemistry of Camphor

Rate constants have been measured at 296 ± 2 K for the gas‐phase reactions of camphor with OH radicals, NO₃ radicals, and O₃. Using relative rate methods, the rate constants for the OH radical and NO₃ radical reactions were (4.6 ± 1.2) × 10⁻¹² cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ and <3 × 10⁻¹⁶ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively, where the indicated error in the OH radical reaction rate constant includes the estimated overall uncertainty in the rate constant for the reference compound. An upper limit to the rate constant for the O₃ reaction of <7 × 10⁻²⁰ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ was also determined. The dominant tropospheric loss process for camphor is calculated to be by reaction with the OH radical. Acetone was identified and quantified as a product of the OH radical reaction by gas chromatography, with a formation yield of 0.29 ± 0.04. In situ atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry (API‐MS) analyses indicated the formation of additional products of molecular weight 166 (dicarbonyl), 182 (hydroxydicarbonyl), 186, 187, 213 (carbonyl‐nitrate), 229 (hydroxycarbonyl‐nitrate), and 243. A reaction mechanism leading to the formation of acetone is presented, as are pathways for the formation of several of the additional products observed by API‐MS. © 2000 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 56–63, 2001     

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     

High-energy ionising radiation initiated decomposition of acetovanillone

Hydroxyl radical, hydrated electron and hydrogen atom intermediates of water radiolysis react with acetovanillone with rate coefficients of (1.05±0.1)×10¹⁰, (3.5±0.5)×10⁹ and (1.7±0.2)×10¹⁰mol^?1 dm³ s^?1. Hydroxyl radical and hydrogen atom attach to the ring forming cyclohexadienyl type radicals. The hydroxyl–cyclohexadienyl radical formed in hydroxyl radical reaction in dissolved oxygen free solution partly transforms to phenoxyl radical. In the presence of O₂ phenoxyl radical formation and ring destruction are observed. Hydrated electron in O₂ free solution attaches to the carbonyl oxygen and undergoes protonation yielding benzyl type radical. In air saturated 0.5 mmol dm^?3 solution using 15 kGy dose most part of acetovanillone is degraded, for complete mineralisation five times higher dose is required. The experiments clearly show that acetovanillone can be efficiently removed from water by applying irradiation technology.     

Formation of 3-Methylfuran from the gas-phase reaction of OH radicals with isoprene and the rate constant for its reaction with the OH radical

3-Methylfuran has been identified as a product of the gas-phase reaction of the OH radical with isoprene, and under simulated atmospheric conditions a formation yield of 0.044 ± 0.006 was determined. In an analogous manner, the OH radical reaction with 1,3-butadiene formed furan with a yield of 0.039 ± 0.011. Using a relative rate method, a rate constant for the reaction of the OH radical with 3-methylfuran of 9.35 × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 (with an estimated overall uncertainty of ±20%) at 296 ± 2 K was also determined. These data show that 3-methylfuran is a reactive compound which will be present in the troposphere at concentrations ?5% of those of its isoprene precursor.     

Kinetics of the gas-phase reactions of the oh radical with selected glycol ethers,glycols, and alcohols

Using a relative rate method, rate constants have been measured for the gas-phase reactions of the OH radical with 1-hexanol, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, 2-butoxyethanol, 1,2-ethanediol, and 1,2-propanediol at 296±2 K, of (in units of 10⁻¹² cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹): 15.8±3.5; 20.9±3.1; 29.4±4.3; 14.7±2.6; and 21.5±4.0, respectively, where the error limits include the estimated overall uncertainties in the rate constants for the reference compounds. These OH radical reaction rate constants are higher than certain of the literature values, by up to a factor of 2. Rate constants were also measured for the reactions of 1-methoxy-2-propanol and 2-butoxyethanol with NO₃ radicals and O₃, with respective NO₃ radical and O₃ reaction rate constants (in cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ units) of: 1-methoxy-2-propanol, (1.7±0.7)×10⁻¹⁵, and <1.1×10⁻¹⁹; and 2-butoxyethanol, (3.0±1.2)×10⁻¹⁵, and <1.1×10⁻¹⁹. The dominant tropospheric loss process for the alcohols, glycols, and glycol ethers studied here is calculated to be by reaction with the OH radical, with lifetimes of 0.4–0.8 day for a 24 h average OH radical concentration of 1.0×10⁶ molecule cm⁻³. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 30: 533–540, 1998     

Formation of O(3P) atoms and epoxides from the gas- phase reaction of O3 with isoprene

The formation yields of 1,2-epoxy-2-methyl-3-butene and 1,2-epoxy-3-methyl-3-butene have been measured from the reaction of O₃ with isoprene at room temperature and one atmosphere total pressure of N₂ and air diluents, with and without cyclohexane to scavenge the OH radicals formed in this reaction system. In addition, a relative rate method was used to determine a rate constant for the gas-phase reaction of O₃ with 1,2-epoxy-2-methyl-3-butene of (2.5 ± 0.7) x 10^-18 cm³ molecules^-1 s^-1 at 296 ± 2 K. Our data show that the epoxide yields in N₂ and air diluents are the same, with formation yields of 1,2-epoxy-2-methyl-3-butene of 0.028 ± 0.007 and of 1,2-epoxy-3-methyl-3-butene of 0.011 ± 0.004. These data further show that the epoxides arise from the primary O₃ reaction with isoprene, and not via the formation of O(³P) atoms from the O₃ - isoprene reaction followed by reaction of these O(³P) atoms with isoprene.     

Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of aurate(I) by peroxydisulphate in aqueous hydrochloric acid

The reaction between Au(I), generated by reaction of thallium(I) with Au(III), and peroxydisulphate was studied in 5 mol dm^?3 hydrochloric acid. The reaction proceeds with the formation of an ion‐pair between peroxydisulphate and chloride ion as the Michealis–Menten plot was linear with intercept. The ion‐pair thus formed oxidizes AuCl₂^? in a slow two‐electron transfer step without any formation of free radicals. The ion‐pair formation constant and the rate constant for the slow step were determined as 113 ± 20 dm^?3 mol^?1 and 5.0 ± 1.0 × 10^?2 dm³ mol^?1 s^?1, respectively. The reaction was retarded by hydrogen ion, and formation of unreactive protonated form of the reductant, HAuCl₂, causes the rate inhibition. From the hydrogen ion dependence of the reaction rate, the protonation constant was calculated to be as 0.6 ± 0.1 dm³ mol^?1. The activation parameters were determined and the values support the proposed mechanism. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 589–594, 2002     

Kinetics of the gas-phase reactions of Cl atoms with chloroethenes at 298 ± 2 K and atmospheric pressure

Using a relative rate technique, rate constants have been determined for the gas-phase reactions of Cl atoms with the cholorethenes and ethane at 298 ± 2 K and 735 torr total pressure of air. Using a rate constant of 1.97 × 10^?10 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 for the reaction of Cl atoms with n-butane, the following rate constants (in units of 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) were obtained: vinyl chloride, 12.7 ± 0.2; 1,1-dichloroethene, 14.0 ± 0.2; cis-1,2-dichloroethene, 9.65 ± 0.10; trans-1,2-dichloroethene, 9.58 ± 0.18; trichloroethene, 8.08 ± 0.10; tetrachloroethene, 4.13 ± 0.23; and ethane, 6.17 ± 0.08 (where the indicated error limits do not include the uncertainties in the rate constant for n-butane). A small amount of cis-trans isomerization was observed for the reactions involving the cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethenes. These data are compared and discussed with the available literature data.     

Pulse radiolysis study of the formation and the reactivity of baicalin radical anion,and in comparison with rutin,quercetin and acyrlate ester radical anions in ethanol

The reaction of solvated electrons with baicalin in N₂-saturated ethanol has been studied by pulse radiolysis. The results show that a solvated electron can add to baicalin and generate a baicalin radical anion with a maximum UV absorbance peak at 360 nm. Its molar extinction coefficient at this wavelength is 1.3×10⁴ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The rate constant for the build-up of the baicalin radical anion is 1.3(±0.4)×10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. Decay of the radical anion is induced by a proton transfer reaction and a recombination reaction, which involves a pseudo-first-order reaction with rate constant 2.6(±0.4)×10³ s⁻¹ and a second-order reaction with rate constant 1.3(±0.2)×10⁹ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. The effect of acetaldehyde on the decay of the baicalin radical anion was also investigated. Electron transfer between the baicalin radical anion and acetaldehyde was not observed, probably due to the low rate of electron transfer between the baicalin radical anion and acetaldehyde. Reactivity of the rutin, quercetin, baicalin and ethyl acrylate radical anions are also compared.     

The fate of the hydroxyalkoxy radical in the OH‐initiated oxidation of isoprene

Rate constants for several intermediate steps in the OH‐initiated oxidation of isoprene were determined using laser‐photolysis/laser‐induced fluorescence of OH radicals at total pressures between 3 and 4 Torr at 295 K. The rate constant for decomposition of the hydroxyalkoxy radical was determined to be (3.0 ± 0.5) × 10⁴ s^?1 in this pressure range, which is in fair agreement with previous work. The presence of a prompt alkoxy decomposition pathway was also investigated and found to contribute less than 10% to the total hydroxyalkoxy radical decomposition. The rate constant for the reaction of the hydroxyperoxy radical with NO was determined to be (2.5 ± 0.5) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, which is moderately higher than previously reported. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 255–261, 2002     

Photochemical generation of carbonate radicals and their reactivity with phenol

The reaction of carbonate radical with phenol in aqueous solution has been investigated in systems in which carbonate radicals were generated by UV irradiation of an aqueous solution of [Co(NH₃)₅CO₃]⁺ (pH 8.0 phosphate buffer). Both steady state and time resolved photolysis experiments were performed. Upon continuous irradiation of complex phenol mixtures, phenol was converted into benzoquinone and dihydroxybenzenes. Benzoquinone was the major by-product in the early stages of the reaction. Laser flash excitation (266 and 355 nm) of the cobalt complex clearly showed the formation of the carbonate radical. When phenol was added to the solution of the complex, a second species was observed which was assigned to the phenoxyl radical. The second-order rate constant of reaction between phenol and carbonate radical was found to be equal to 1.6 × 10⁷ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, in agreement with literature data of 2.2 × 10⁷ M⁻¹ s⁻¹.     

Kinetics and products of the reactions of selected diols with the OH radical

Using a relative rate method, rate constants have been measured at 296 ± 2 K for the gas‐phase reactions of OH radicals with 1,2‐butanediol, 2,3‐butanediol, 1,3‐butanediol, and 2‐methyl‐2,4‐pentanediol, with rate constants (in units of 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) of 27.0 ± 5.6, 23.6 ± 6.3, 33.2 ± 6.8, and 27.7 ± 6.1, respectively, where the error limits include the estimated overall uncertainty of ±20% in the rate constant for the reference compound. Gas chromatographic analyses showed the formation of 1‐hydroxy‐2‐butanone from 1,2‐butanediol, 3‐hydroxy‐2‐butanone from 2,3‐butanediol, 1‐hydroxy‐3‐butanone from 1,3‐butanediol, and 4‐hydroxy‐4‐methyl‐2‐pentanone from 2‐methyl‐2,4‐pentanediol, with formation yields of 0.66 ± 0.11, 0.89 ± 0.09, 0.50 ± 0.09, and 0.47 ± 0.09, respectively, where the indicated errors are the estimated overall uncertainties. Pathways for the formation of these products are presented, together with a comparison of the measured and estimated rate constants and product yields. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 310–316, 2001     

Influence in kinetic studies by competitive photocurrent methods of a post-competition link between parallel reactions chains: Part II. OH radical addition to phenol and aniline

The rate constants for the homogeneous reaction of OH radicals of O^? ions with phenol and aniline have been determined by a photoelectrochemical method involving studies of the suppressive effect of mixtures of aniline and of phenol with methanol on the nitrous oxide photocurrent at a DME. Fairly good agreement with absolute rate constants obtained by conventional radiation chemical methods is obtained if use is made of the theory developed in Part I of this paper which takes account of the possibility of interaction between the photocurrent reaction chains following competition between the two organic solutes for OH radicals. The present work points to a value of 1.75±0.6 10¹⁰M^?1 s^?1 for the capture of OH by phenol at pH 9.5. The reaction product, the cyclohexadienyl radical Φ (OH)₂, is able to extract H atoms from methanol with a rate constant of the order of 10⁷M^?1 s^?1, this reaction tending to lessen the suppressive effect of a phenol + methanol mixture on the nitrous oxide photocurrent. Similar complications are observed at higher pH, and also when using aniline + methanol mixtures.     

Bimolecular self-reactions of ketyl radicals of acetophenone and diphenylaminyl radicals

The rate constants of self-reactions of ketyl radicals of acetophenone in n-heptane [2k = (3.2 ± 0.5) × 10⁹ M^?1 s^?1] and diphenylaminyl radicals in toluene [2k = (3.3 ± 0.5) × 10⁷ M^?1 s^?1] have been determined at 298 K using the flash photolysis technique. The rate constant of ketyl radicals is equal to the calculated diffusion constant and, therefore, this reaction is diffusion-controlled. The aminyl radical recombination rate is independent of the viscosity of the toluene/vaseline oil binary mixture (0.55 ? η ? 12 cP) and this reaction is activation-controlled. Reactivity anisotropy averaging due to the cage effect has been considered for ketyl and some other radicals. On the basis of the analysis it has been proposed that ketyl recombination involves formation of not only pinacol, but also iso-pinacols.     

Gas‐Phase Reaction of Monomethylhydrazine with Ozone: Kinetics and OH Radical Formation

The gas‐phase reaction of monomethylhydrazine (CH₃NH? NH₂; MMH) with ozone was investigated in a flow tube at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 295 ± 2 K using N₂/O₂ mixtures (3–30 vol% O₂) as the carrier gas. Proton transfer reaction–mass spectrometry (PTR‐MS) and long‐path FT‐IR spectroscopy served as the main analytical techniques. The kinetics of the title reaction was investigated with a relative rate technique yielding k_MMH+O3 = (4.3 ± 1.0) × 10^?15 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. Methyldiazene (CH₃N?NH; MeDia) has been identified as the main product in this reaction system as a result of PTR‐MS analysis. The reactivity of MeDia toward ozone was estimated relative to the reaction of MMH with ozone resulting in k_MeDia+O3 = (2.7 ± 1.6) × 10^?15 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. OH radicals were followed indirectly by phenol formation from the reaction of OH radicals with benzene. Increasing OH radical yields with increasing MMH conversion have been observed pointing to the importance of secondary processes for OH radical generation. Generally, the detected OH radical yields were definitely smaller than thought so far. The results of this study do not support the mechanism of OH radical formation from the reaction of MMH with ozone as proposed in the literature.     

Kinetic and mechanistic aspects of the NO oxidation by O2 in aqueous phase

The oxidation kinetics of NO by O₂ in aqueous solution was observed using a stopped flow apparatus. The kinetics follows a third order rate law of the form k · [NO]² · [O₂] in analogy to gas-phase results. The rate constant at 296 K was measured as (6.4 ± 0.8) · 10⁶ M^?2 s^?1 with an activation energy of 2.3 kcal/mol and a preexponential factor of (4.0 ± 0.5) · 10⁸ M^?2 s^?1. The rate constant displays a very slight pH dependence corresponding to less than a factor of three over the range 0 to 12. The system NO/O₂ in aqueous solution is an efficient nitrosating agent which has been tested using phenol as a substrate over the pH range 0 to 12. The rate limiting step leading to formation of 4-nitrosophenol is the formation of the reactive intermediate whose competitive hydrolysis yields HONO or NO₂^?. The absence of NO₃^? in the autoxidation of NO, the exclusive presence of NO₂^? as a product of the nitrosation reaction of phenol, and the kinetic results of the N₃^? trapping experiments point towards N₂O₃ as the reactive intermediate. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On the mechanism of the electrochemical reduction of N-methylpyridinium ion

The electrochemical reduction of N-methylpyridinium ion (NMP⁺) at concentrations <2 × 10⁻⁴ M in aqueous solution in the pH range of 5–11 has been shown to he a one-electron process which gives rise to 1-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridinyl radicals. These pyridinyl radicals undergo rapid dimerization for which the bimolecular rate constant has been shown to be in excess of 1 × 10⁷ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. The formal potential for the reduction of NMP⁺ in aqueous 1.0 M KCl is found to be −1.372 V vs. NHE. The formation of the pyridinyl radical as a transient intermediate in the electroreduction of NMP⁺ has been established by spin trapping using α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrone.     

The UV absorption spectrum of trimethylsilyl radical in the gas phase

The UV absorption spectrum of trimethylsilyl radical was observed at 256 nm for the first time by photolysing allyltrimethylsilane and hexamethyldisilane with an ArF excimer laser. A bimolecular rate constant for recombination of trimethylsilyl radical of (2.5±0.5×10⁻¹¹ molecule⁻¹ cm³ s⁻¹ was measured.     

Measurements of the kinetics of the OH + α‐pinene and OH + β‐pinene reactions at low pressure

The rate constants for the OH + α‐pinene and OH + β‐pinene reactions have been measured in 5 Torr of He using discharge‐flow systems coupled with resonance fluorescence and laser‐induced fluorescence detection of the OH radical. At room temperature, the measured effective bimolecular rate constant for the OH + α‐pinene reaction was (6.08 ± 0.24) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. These results are in excellent agreement with previous absolute measurements of this rate constant, but are approximately 13% greater than the value currently recommended for atmospheric modeling. The measured effective bimolecular rate constant for the OH + β‐pinene reaction at room temperature was (7.72 ± 0.44) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, in excellent agreement with previous measurements and current recommendations. Above 300 K, the effective bimolecular rate constants for these reactions display a negative temperature dependence suggesting that OH addition dominates the reaction mechanisms under these conditions. This negative temperature dependence is larger than that observed at higher pressures. The measured rate constants for the OH + α‐pinene and OH + β‐pinene reactions are in good agreement with established reactivity trends relating the rate constant for OH + alkene reactions with the ionization potential of the alkene when ab initio calculated energies for the highest occupied molecular orbital are used as surrogates for the ionization potentials for α‐ and β‐pinene. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 300–308, 2002     

Extinction coefficients for the β-methallyl radical

The radicals formed in the flash photolysis of 2-methylbut-1-ene and iso-butene and subsequent reactions have been investigated by kinetic spectroscopy and gas liquid chromatography. The extinction coefficients of the β-methallyl radical were measured from the absorption bands. The decay of the radical was second order. The measured rate constant for β-methallyl combination was (2.6±0.3) × 10¹⁰ mol^?1 & s^?1 at 295 ± 2K.