Time-resolved vibrational chemiluminescence: Rate constants for the reactions of F atoms with H2O and HCN,and for the relaxation of HF (v = 1) by H2O and HCN

Rate constants have been determined at (298 ± 4) K for the reactions: and the relaxation processes: Time-resolved HF(1,0) emission was observed following the photolysis of F₂ with pulses from an excimer laser operating on XeCl (λ = 308 nm). Analysis of the emission traces gave first-order constants for reaction and relaxation, and their dependence on [H₂O] and [HCN] yielded:      

Effects of alkenes on the thermal decomposition of propane part II. Influence of ethylene

Experiments with propane-ethylene mixtures in the temperature range 760–830 K resulted in refinement of the role of ethylene inhibition in the decomposition of propane. The source of the rate-reducing effect of ethylene is the reaction This replaces the decomposition chains more slowly by means of the reactions than H-atoms do by direct H-abstraction from propane. Analysis of the ratios of the product formation rates showed that the selectivity of the ethyl radical for the abstraction of hydrogen of different bond strengths from propane was practically the same as that of the H-atom. The ratio of the rate constants of hydrogen addition to ethylene and methyl-hydrogen abstraction from propane by the H-atom (3) was determined as was that of the decomposition and the similar H-abstraction of the ethyl radical Interpretation of the influence of ethylene required the completion of the mechanism with further initiation of the reaction besides termination via ethyl radicals.     

Effects of olefins on the thermal decomposition of propane part V. Effect of butene-2-Cis

The thermal decomposition of butene-2-cis at low conversion and its effect on the pyrolysis of propane have been studied in the temperature range 779-812 K. It was established that 2-butene decomposes in a long-chain process, with the chain cycle (Besides the radical path, the molecular reaction can also play a role in the formation of the products.) The thermal decomposition of propane is considerably inhibited by 2-butene, which can be explained by the fact that the less reactive radicals formed in the reactions between the olefin and the chain-carrying radicals regenerate the chain cycle more slowly than the original radicals in the above chain cycle or in the reactions The reactions of the 2-propyl radical are further initiation steps. The ratios of the rate coefficients of the elementary steps of the decomposition (Table III) have been determined via the ratios of the products. Estimation of the radical concentrations indicated that only the methyl, 2-propyl and methylallyl radicals are of importance in the chain termination. On the basis of the inhibition-influenced curves, the role of the bimolecular initiation steps. could be clarified in the presence of 2-butene.     

Photolysis of azomethane–propane mixtures. Arrhenius parameters for the hydrogen abstraction reactions of methyl with azomethane and with propane

Mixtures of up to 14% azomethane in propane have been photolyzed using mainly 366 nm radiation in the ranges of 323–453 K and 25–200 torr. Detailed measurements were made of the yields of nitrogen, methane, and ethane. Other products observed were isobutane, n-butane, ethene, and propene. A detailed mechanism is proposed and shown to account for the observed variation of product yields with experimental conditions. The quantum yield of the molecular process is found to be given by the temperature-independent equation The values of rate constants obtained are where the reactions are and it is assumed that the rate constant for the reaction is given by      

The kinetics of the thermal bromination of CF3I. Determination of the bond dissociation energy D(CF3−I)

The kinetics of the thermal bromination reaction have been studied in the range of 173–321°C. For the step we obtain where θ=2.303RT cal/mole. From the activation energy for reaction (11), we calculate that This is compared with previously published values of D(CF₃?I). The relevance of the result to published work on k_c for a combination of CF₃ radicals is discussed.     

Effect of olefins on the thermal decomposition of propane part I. The model reaction

Study of the thermal decomposition of propane at very low conversions in the temperature range 760–830 K led to refinement of the mechanism of the reaction. The quotient V/V characterizing the two decomposition routes connected with the 1- and 2-propyl radicals proved to depend linearly on the initial propane concentration. This suggested the occurrence of intermolecular radical isomerization: in competition with decomposition of the 2-propyl radical: The linearity led to the conclusion that the selectivity of H-abstraction from the methyl and methylene groups by the methyl radical is practically the same as that by the H atom. The temperature-dependence of this selectivity ( μ = kCH₃/kCH₂) was given by Further evaluation of the dependence gave the Arrhenius representation for the ratio of the rate coefficients of the above isomerization and decomposition reactions. Steady-state treatment resulted in the rate equation of the process, comparison of which with measurements gave further Arrhenius dependences.     

H2S-promoted thermal isomerization of butene-2 CIS to butene-1 or butene-2 trans around 500°C

H₂S increases the thermal isomerization of butene-2 cis (B_c) to butene-1 (B₁) and butene-2 trans (B_t) around 500°C. This effect is interpreted on the basis of a free radical mechanism in which buten-2-yl and thiyl free radicals are the main chain carriers. B₁ formation is essentially explainedby the metathetical steps: whereas the free radical part of B_t formation results from the addition–elimination processes: . It is shown that the initiation step of pure B_c thermal reaction is essentially unimolecular: and that a new initiation step occurs in the presence of H₂S: . The rate constant ratio has been evaluated: and the best values of k₁ and k_1', consistent with this work and with thermochemical data, are . From thermochemical data of the literature and an “intrinsic value” of E_?3 ? 2 kcal/mol given by Benson, further values of rate constants may be proposed: is shown to be E₄ ? 3.5 ± 2 kcal/mol, of the same order as the activation energy of the corresponding metathetical step.     

Radical steps in diethyl ether decomposition

The thermal decomposition of diethyl ether was studied in the temperature range 697.2–760.5 K. The rate constant of reaction (1), and the ratio of the rate constant of reaction (2) to that of (12): were calculated from the amounts of products:      

A shock tube study of H + HNCO → NH2 + CO

The reaction of atomic hydrogen with isocyanic acid (HNCO) to produce the amidogen radical (NH₂) and carbon monoxide, has been studied in shock-heated mixtures of HNCO dilute in argon. Time-histories of the ground-state NH₂ radical were measured behind reflected shock waves using cw, narrowlinewidth laser absorption at 597 nm, and HNCO time-histories were measured using infrared emission from the fundamental v₂-band of HNCO near 5 μm. The second-order rate coefficient of reaction (2(a)) was determined to be: cm³ mol^?1 s^?1, where f and F define the lower and upper uncertainty limits, respectively. An upper limit on the rate coefficient of was determined to be:      

Absolute rate constants for the reactions O(3P) atoms with HCl and HBr

A flow tube method has been used to determine rate constants for the elementary reactions: Oxygen atoms were produced by adding a small excess of NO to a stream of partially dissociated nitrogen, and their reaction with hydrogen halide was monitored by observing the intensity of the NO + O afterglow. Experiments were carried out at temperatures from 293 to 440°K with HCl, and from 267 to 430°K with HBr. The role of secondary reactions was minimised and the residual effects were allowed for. The rate constants for the primary reactions could be matched by Arrhenius expressions: where the units are cm³/molec·sec and the errors correspond to a standard deviation.     

Thermal stability of alcohols

3,3-Dimethylbutanol-2 (3,3-DMB-ol-2) and 2,3-dimethylbutanol-2 (2,3-DMB-ol-2) have been decomposed in comparative-rate single-pulse shock-tube experiments. The mechanisms of the decompositions are The rate expressions are They lead to D(iC₃H₇? H) – D((CH₃)₂(OH) C? H) = 8.3 kJ and D(C₂H₅? H) – D(CH₃(OH) CH? H) = 24.2 kJ. These data, in conjunction with reasonable assumptions, give and The rate expressions for the decomposition of 2,3-DMB-1 and 3,3-DMB-1 are and      

Formation of HCOH + H2 through the reaction CH3 + OH. Experimental evidence for a hitherto undetected product channel

In an extension of our earlier studies at lower temperatures [4,5] the title reaction was measured directly in a flow reactor at temperatures of 600 and 700 K. The pressure of 0.65 mb was chosen that low in order to reduce the contribution of the stabilization channel. OH was used in an excess over CH₃. Both reactants along with the reaction products were monitored by mass spectrometry. CH₃ profiles served as the major observable quantity for the extraction of rate data. This had to be done by using computer simulation since it was impossible to work under pseudo-first-order conditions. The obtained total rate coefficients were divided into channel rate coefficients by means of branching ratios as determined by the mass spectrometric measurement of the reaction products. For CH₃ + OH, this led to a rate coefficient, k_1a into the stabilization channel, and another one, k_{1e + f} referring to the sum of two H₂-eliminating channels yielding the biradical HCOH and to a minor extent H₂CO. These latter channels have not been measured before. In order to distinguish between them we switched over from OH to OD to get so that the biradical and/or aldehyde channels could be determined by their by-products H₂ and HD, respectively. The use of OD makes it also possible to measure the channel through its by-product, HDO. A comparison of the rate coefficients of both systems, i.e., CH₃ + OH and CH₃ + OD, indicates that within our error limits no significant isotope effect takes place. For the rate coefficient into the HCOH channel, we arrive at a preliminary Arrhenius expression in units of cm, molec, and s: . The H₂CO channel could not be detected at our lower temperature rendering us with a rate coefficient at 700 K: . Since simulation is needed for the deduction of the total rate coefficients as well as of the branching ratios, an uncertainty factor of 1.5 has to be attributed to these numbers. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Rate constants for abstraction of hydrogen from ethylene by methyl and ethyl radicals relative to abstraction from propane and isobutane

A method is described for the measurement of relative rate constants for abstraction of hydrogen from ethylene at temperatures in the region of 750 K. The method is based on the effect of the addition of small quantities of propane and isobutane on the rates of formation of products in the thermal chain reactions of ethylene. On the assumption that methane and ethane are formed by the following reactions, (1) measurements of the ratio of the rates of formation of methane and ethane in the presence and absence of the additive gave the following results: Values for k₂ and k₃ obtained from these ratios are compared with previous measurements.     

Kinetics of the gas-phase reaction CH3F + I2 ⇆ CH2FI + HI: The C?H bond dissociation energy in methyl and methylene fluorides

The kinetics of the gas-phase reaction of CH₃F with I₂ have been studied spectrophotometrically from 629 to 710 K, and were determined to be consistent with the following mechanism: (1) A least-squares analysis of the kinetic data taken in the initial stages of reaction resulted in where θ = 4.575T/1000 kcal/mol. The errors represent one standard deviation. The experimental activation energy E₄ = 30.8 ± 0.2 kcal/mol was combined with the assumption E₃ = 1 ± 1 kcal/mol and estimated heat capacities to obtain The enthalpy change at 298 K was combined with selected thermochemical data to derive The kinetic studies of ?HF₂ and CH₂F₂ have been reevaluated to yield These results are combined with literature data to yield the C? H, C? F, and C? Cl bond dissociation energies in their respective fluoromethanes, and the effect of α-fluorine substitution is discussed.     

Reaction kinetics of NH in the shock tube pyrolysis of HNCO

The high temperature kinetics of NH in the pyrolysis of isocyanic acid (HNCO) have been studied in reflected shock wave experiments. Time histories of the NH(X³Σ^?) radical were measured using a cw, narrow-linewidth laser absorption diagnostic at 336 nm. The second-order rate coefficients of the reactions: (1) were determined to be: cm³?mol^?1?s^?1, where f and F define the lower and upper uncertainty limits, respectively. The data for k_1a are somewhat better fit by:      

Thermal decomposition of 1,1,2,2-tetramethylcyclopropane in a single-pulse shock tube

1,1,2,2-Tetramethylcyclopropane (TTMC) has been decomposed in a single-pulse shock tube. The main reaction process is Side reactions are unimportant. From comparative rate experiments (with cyclohexene decomposition as standard) the rate expression for these reactions are These numbers are consistent with a «best» value for cyclohexene decomposition of      

The pyrolysis of dimethyl sulfide,kinetics and mechanism

The kinetics of the gas phase pyrolysis of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) was studied in a static system at 681–723 K by monitoring total pressure-time behavior. Analysis showed the pressure increase to follow DMS loss. The reaction follows two concurrent paths: with a slow, minor, secondary reaction: In a seasoned reactor the reaction follows a 3/2 order rate law with rate coefficient given by with θ = 2.303 RT in kcal/mol. A free radical mechanism is proposed to account for the data and a theoretical rate coefficient is derived from independent data: which agrees well with the experimental one over the range studied. The reaction is initiated by Me₂S → Me + MeS? and propagated by metathetical radical attack on Me₂S. C₂H₄ is formed by an isomerization reaction which may in part be due to a hot radical: Thermochemical data are listed, many from estimations, for both molecular and radical species of interest in the present system.     

Kinetics of UV-laser induced dehydrochlorination of 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane

The decomposition of 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane by a radical chain reaction has been studied in a flow reactor in the temperature range from 503 to 773 K. For the initiation of the chain small amounts of added chlorine were photolyzed with a XeCl laser (λ = 308 nm). The formation of the dehydrochlorination and chlorination products, vinylidene fluoride, and 1,2-dichloro-1,1-difluoroethane respectively, is described by a kinetic model. Arrhenius parameters for the two abstraction reactions and were determined by a competition method: Experimental and modeling results are discussed with respect to former studies on the thermal reaction of 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane.     

Unexpectedly rapid vapor-phase reaction between bromine and methyl iodide

The overall reaction (1) occurs readily in the gas phase, even at room temperature in the dark. The reaction is much faster than the corresponding process and does not involve the normal bromination mechanism for gas phase reactions. Reaction (1) is probably heterogeneous although other mechanisms cannot be excluded. The overall reactions (1) (2) proceed, for all practical purposes, completely to the right-hand side in the vapor phase. The expected mechanism is (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) where reaction (3) is initiated thermally or photochemically. Reaction (4) is of interest because little kinetic data are available on reactions involving abstraction of halogen by halogen and also because an accurate determination of the activation energy E₄ would prmit us to calculate an acccurate value of the bond dissociation energy D(CH₃? I).     

The kinetics and the mechanism of the thermal decomposition of bis(trifluoromethyl) trioxide. The influence of carbonmonoxide on its decomposition

The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of CF₃O₃CF₃ has been investigated in the pressure range of 15–599 torr at temperatures between 59.8 and 90.3°C and also in the presence of CO between 42 and 7°C. The reaction is homogeneous. In the absence of CO the only reaction products are CF₃O₂CF₃ and O₂. The rate of reaction is strictly proportional to the trioxide pressure, and is not affected by the total pressure, the presence of inert gases, and oxygen. The following mechanism explains the experimental results: In the presence of CO there appear CO₂, (CF₃OCO)₂, and CF₃O₂C(O)OCF₃ as products. With increasing temperature the amount of peroxicarbonate decreases, while the amounts of oxalate and CO₂ increase. The rate of decomposition of the trioxide above a limiting pressure of about 10 torr CO is strictly first order and independent of CO pressure, total pressure, and the pressure of the products. The addition of larger amounts of O₂ to the CO containing system chaqnges the course of the reaction.