An outdoor smog chamber and modeling study of toluene–NOx photooxidation

An experimental investigation of the gas-phase photooxidation of toluene–NO_x–air mixtures at part-per-million concentrations has been carried out in a 65-m³, outdoor smog chamber to assess our understanding of the atmospheric chemistry of toluene. In addition, six CO? NO_x–air irradiations were conducted to characterize the chamber with regard to any wall radical sources. Measured parameters in the toluene–NO_x experiments included O₃, NO, NO₂, HNO₃, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), CO, toluene, benzaldehyde, o-cresol, m-nitrotoluene, peroxybenzoyl nitrate (PBZN), temperature, relative humidity, aerosol size distributions, and particulate organic carbon. Predictions of the reaction mechanism of Leone and Seinfeld [7] are found to be in good agreement with the data under a variety of initial conditions. Additional simulations are used to investigate various mechanistic pathways in areas where our understanding of toluene chemistry is still incomplete.     

Computer modeling of smog chamber data: Progress in validation of a detailed mechanism for the photooxidation of propene and n-butane in photochemical smog

A detailed mechanism is presented for reactions occurring during irradiation of part-per-million concentrations of propene and/or n-butane and oxides of nitrogen in air. Data from an extensive series of well-characterized smog chamber experiments carried out in our 5800-liter evacuable chamber–solar simulator facility designed for providing data suitable for quantitative model validation were used to elucidate several unknown or uncertain kinetic parameters and details of the reaction mechanism. The mechanism was then tested against the data base from the smog chamber runs. In general, most calculated concentration–time profiles agreed with experiments to within the experimental uncertainties. Fits were usually attained to within ～±20% or better for ozone, NO, propene, and n-butane, to within ～±30% or better for NO₂, PAN, methyl ethyl ketone, 2-butyl nitrate, butyraldehyde, and (in runs not containing propene) methyl nitrate, to within ?±50% or better for the minor products 1-butyl nitrate and propene oxide, and to within a factor of 2 for methyl nitrate in propene-containing runs. Propionaldehyde was consistently underpredicted in all runs; it is probably a chamber contaminant. For formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, the major products in both systems, fits to within ?±20% were often obtained, yet for a number of experiments, significantly greater discrepancies were observed, probably as a result of experimental and/or analytical problems. The good fits to experimental data were attained only after adjusting several rate constants or rate constant ratios related to uncertainties concerning chamber effects or the chemical mechanism. The largest uncertainty concerns the necessity to include in the mechanism a significant rate of radical input from unknown sources in the smog chamber. Other areas where fundamental kinetic and mechanistic data are most needed before a predictive, detailed propene + n-butane-NO_x-air smog model can be completely validated concern other chamber effects, the O₃ + propene mechanism, decomposition rates of substituted alkoxy radicals, primary quantum yields for radical production as a function of wavelength for aldehyde and ketone photolyses, and the mechanisms and rates of reactions of peroxy radicals with NO and NO².     

Determination of oxygenated compounds in secondary organic aerosol from isoprene and toluene smog chamber experiments

The determination of multifunctional oxygenated compounds in secondary organic aerosols (SOA) usually requires a derivatisation protocol prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). Our proposed protocol, a combination of O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine (PFBHA) plus diluted N-methyl-N-trimethyl-silyltrifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) without catalyst, has improved the determination of carbonyls, polyhydroxyl-compounds, hydroxyl-carbonyls, hydroxyl-carboxylic acids and di-carboxylic acids. The optimised derivatisation protocol has been successfully used for blanks, standard mixtures and photo-oxidation products from isoprene and toluene generated in a high-volume simulation chamber (European Photoreactor, EUPHORE).

Some previously identified degradation products for isoprene including tetrols such as threitol, erythritol; 2-methyltetrols and 2-methylglyceric acid; and for toluene including nitrophenols, methyl-nitrophenols, benzaldehyde, p-cresol, benzoic acid, glyoxylic acid and methyl-glyoxylic acid, have been identified in our aerosol samples, thus confirming the successful applicability of the proposed derivatisation protocol. Moreover, the reduction of artefacts and enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, have allowed us to extend the number of multifunctional compounds determined. These findings have demonstrated the validity of this analytical strategy, which will contribute to a better understanding of the atmospheric degradation chemistry of biogenic and anthropogenic pollutants.     

Kinetic modeling of benzene and toluene decomposition in air and in flue gas under electron beam irradiation

Computer simulations of benzene and toluene decomposition in air (79% N₂+21% O₂) and in flue gas (87% N₂+10% O₂+3% H₂O+160 ppm SO₂+80 ppm NO) under electron beam (EB) irradiation were carried out using computer code KINETIC and GEAR method. 285 reactions involving 73 species and 294 reactions involving 78 species were considered for simulation of benzene and toluene decomposition, respectively. Calculation results of benzene and toluene decomposition in air under electron beam agree well with the published experimental results. OH radicals play a main role in benzene or toluene decomposition.     

Experimental and modeling study of the oxidation of toluene

This paper describes an experimental and modeling study of the oxidation of toluene. The low‐temperature oxidation was studied in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor with carbon‐containing products analyzed by gas chromatography under the following experimental conditions: temperature from 873 to 923 K, 1 bar, fuel equivalence ratios from 0.45 to 0.91, concentrations of toluene from 1.4 to 1.7%, and residence times ranging from 2 to 13 s corresponding to toluene conversion from 5 to 85%. The ignition delays of toluene–oxygen–argon mixtures with fuel equivalence ratios from 0.5 to 3 were measured behind reflected shock waves for temperatures from 1305 to 1795 K and at a pressure of 8.7 ± 0.7 bar. A detailed kinetic mechanism has been proposed to reproduce our experimental results, as well as some literature data obtained in other shock tubes and in a plug flow reactor. The main reaction paths have been determined by sensitivity and flux analyses. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 25–49, 2005     

A new mechanism for gas phase ozone–olefin reactions

A new mechanism for gas phase ozone-olefin reactions is proposed. The mechanism involves biradical intermediates which can react in a variety of ways. One of the possible reaction modes corresponds to the Criegie mechanism originally proposed to explain solution ozonolysis reactions and generally also accepted in the past for gas phase reactions. However, an examination of the gas phase data on ozone–olefin reactions and of the thermochemical and kinetic requirements for these reactions indicates that the Criegie reaction mode may be the least important of various other reaction possibilities. Those other reaction possibilities involve intramolecular H abstractions and rearrangements in biradical intermediates. The proposed mechanism provides very reasonable explanations for a number of unusual observations on gas phase ozonolysis. These are the formation of peroxidic bound products, aldehyde and 1,2-dicarbonyl product fluorescences, and unexpected carbonyl product formations.     

Rotating sector study of the gas phase photolysis of the carbon tetrachloride–cyclohexane system

The rate constant for the combination of trichloromethyl radicals in the gas phase has been measured by applying the rotating sector technique to the gas phase carbon tetrachloride–cyclohexane photochemical system. A temperature-independent rate constant, k₅, of 3.9 ± 1.0 × 10¹² cc mole^?1 sec^?1 was found. Arrhenius parameters for the reaction were found to be given by the expression log k₄ = 11.79 – (10,700/2.3 RT).     

Stability of Complex Metal Bromides in the gas phase and in toluene

The equilibrium constants of the reactions MBr₂(s) + Al₂Br₆(sln) ? MAl₂Br₈(sln) M = Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Cd have been measured at 298 K in toluene. Ni: 0.017 ± 0.0024, Co: 0.54 ± 0.07, Zn: 1.5 ± 0.2, Mn: 2.1 ± 0, 7, Cr: 2.2 ± 1, Cd: 7 ± 5. They are compared with literature values of the equilibrium constants of analogous reactions in the gas phase MX₂(s) + Al₂X₆(g) ? MAl₂X₈(g), X = Cl, Br. For CoAl₂Br₈(sln) the temperature dependence of the equilibrium constant yielded Δ_fH = ?9.4 ± 1 kJ mol^?1 and Δ_fS = ?39.5 ± 3 J mol^?1 K^?1 while literature values for CoAl₂Br₈(g) are Δ_fH = 42.4 ± 2 kJ mol^?1 and Δ_fS = 42.9 ± 2 J mol^?1 K^?1. The solubility of Al₂Br₆ in toluene as well as its enthalpy of dissolution have been measured in order to evaluate ΔH° and ΔS° of the solvation of Al₂Br₆(g) and CoAl₂Br₈(g) in toluene by a thermodynamic cycle. Solvation of Al₂Br₆(g): ΔH = ?72.7 ± 1 kJ mol^?1, ΔS = ?139.6 ± 4 J mol^?1 K^?1, solvation of CoAl₂Br₈(g): ΔH = ?124.5 ± 4kJ mol^?1, ΔS = ?222 ± 9J mol^?1 K^?1. Thus, CoAl₂Br₈ interacts more strongly with the solvent toluene than Al₂Br₆ does.     

Ab initio study of the structure of isocytosine–cytosine standard Watson–Crick base pairs in the gas phase and in water

Ab initio quantum chemical studies at the HF and MP2 levels with the 6-31G* basis set were performed for H-bonded isocytosine–cytosine standard Watson–Crick base pairs (denoted as iCC1) in the gas phase and in a water solution. Full geometry optimizations at the HF level without any constraints on the planarity of these complexes were carried out. The water solution was modeled by the explicit inclusion of one, two, four, and six water molecules. Six waters create the first full coordination sphere around the iCC1 base pair. All potentially possible hydration positions of the iCC1 base pair with one and two water molecules were considered. The interaction and solvation energies were corrected for the basis-set superposition error by using the full Boys–Bernardi counterpoise correction scheme. It was shown that inclusion of six instead of one, two, or four water molecules has a crucial effect on the geometry of the iCC1 base pair. In the case of six water molecules, the iCC1 moiety becomes strongly nonplanar, while in the case of a smaller number of water molecules, it deviates only slightly from the planar conformation as is adopted in the gas phase. Based on the results of these calculations, the nature of the specific H-bonding interactions, solvation effects, and the interaction energies are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 69: 37–47, 1998     

Addition–elimination versus Tishchenko reaction in the gas phase

Gas phase reactions of the substituted phenide ions with methyl formate have been studied. It was found that the results of these reactions depend mainly on the basicity of the phenide ion, which is related to the presence of the electron‐accepting or electron‐donating substituents in the benzene ring. It was shown that the phenide ions substituted with electron‐withdrawing groups react with methyl formate in the gas phase in a two‐step reaction. The first step that proceeds according to the typical addition–elimination mechanism results in the formation of the anion of the respective benzaldehyde derivative with the negative charge located either in the aldehyde group (acyl anion) or in the benzene ring (phenide anion) in position ortho to an aldehyde moiety. In the second step, the preliminary‐formed anion reacts with the second molecule of methyl formate yielding formally product of the second addition–elimination reaction. Theoretical calculations as well as collision induced dissociation spectra of the model compounds suggest that this reaction proceeds according to the Tishchenko reaction mechanism yielding the respective phthalide anion. According to our knowledge, this is the first example of the Tishchenko‐type reaction in the gas phase. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Theoretical study of activation Fe–O bond of FeO by CO in the gas phase

The entire reaction mechanism for the gas phase CO–CO₂ conversion by FeO⁺ is discussed by means of the density functional theory and the intrinsic reaction coordinate approach. The calculated results have strongly indicated that the reaction of is a spin-forbidden reaction between the quartet and the sextet potential energy surfaces (PESs). There is a crossing point between the quartet and the sextet potential energy surfaces which may play a significant role in this reaction, by which the activation energy can be decreased from −15.1 to −56.4 kJ mol⁻¹ at the reaction system.     

Adsorption of phenol and toluene from the gas phase and aqueous solutions on cellulose

Adsorption of toluene and phenol from the gas phase and aqueous solutions on various celluloses was studied.     

Use of integrated cavity output spectroscopy for studying gas phase chemistry in a smog chamber: Characterizing the photolysis of methyl nitrite (CH3ONO)

We report on the first demonstration of the study of photo-induced reaction products in a smog chamber by means of wavelength modulated off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (WM-OA-ICOS) at 1.511 μm. The preliminary results of the photolysis of methyl nitrite (CH₃ONO) are presented which demonstrates the ability of our system for the degradation mechanisms studies of atmospheric relevant organic compounds.     

Rotating sector study of the gas phase photolysis of the 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane–cyclohexane system

The rate constant for the combination of 1,1-dichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl radicals in the gas phase has been measured by applying the rotating sector technique to the 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane–cyclohexane photochemical system. The combination rate constant, k₅, was found to be 6.6 × 10¹² cc mole^?1 sec^?1. Arrhenius parameters for the reaction, are given by the expression log k₄ = 11.81 – (9700/2.3RT).     

New polypyrrole–carbon nanotubes–silicon dioxide solid‐phase microextraction fiber for the preconcentration and determination of benzene,toluene, ethylbenzene,and o‐xylene using gas liquid chromatography

For the first time, a polypyrrole–carbon nanotubes–silicon dioxide composite film coated on a steel wire was prepared by an electrochemical method. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that this composite film was even and porous. The prepared fiber was used as an absorbent for the headspace solid‐phase microextraction of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o‐xylene, followed by gas chromatographic analysis. This method presented an excellent performance, which was much better than that of a polypyrrole–carbon nanotube fiber. It was found that under the optimized conditions, the linear ranges were 0.01–200 ng/mL with correlation coefficients >0.9953, the detection limits were 0.005–0.020 ng/mL, the relative standard deviations were 3.9–6.4% for five successive measurements with a single fiber, and the reproducibility was 5.5–8.5% (n = 3). Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to real water samples, and the relative recoveries obtained for the spiked water samples were from 91.0 to 106.7%.     

Determination of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes in air by solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

The aim of the study was to analyse BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) in air by solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME/GC/MS), and this article presents the features of the calibration method proposed. Examples of real-world air analysis are given. Standard gaseous mixtures of BTEX in air were generated by dynamic dilution. SPME sampling was carried out under non-equilibrium conditions using a Carboxen/PDMS fibre exposed for 30 min to standard gas mixtures or to ambient air. The behaviour of the analytical response was studied from 0 to 65 g/m³ by adding increasing amounts of BTEX to the air matrix. Detection limits range from 0.05 to 0.1 g/m³ for benzene, depending on the fibre. Inter-fibre relative standard deviations (reproducibility) are larger than 18%, although the repeatability for an individual fibre is better than 10%. Therefore, each fibre should be considered to be a particular sampling device, and characterised individually depending on the required accuracy. Sampling indoor and outdoor air by SPME appears to be a suitable short-delay diagnostic method for volatile organic compounds, taking advantage of short sampling time and simplicity.