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.     

An indirect measurement of the absolute rate constant of the self-reaction of tert-butoxy radicals

No reliable rate constant is available for the self-reaction of tert-;butoxy radicals. We have set up a competition between hydrogen abstraction and self-reaction of tert-butoxy radicals in a flash photolysis electron spin resonance study to extract this information. Experimental values of hydrogen abstraction product radical concentrations under various hydrogen donor concentrations were then compared with theoretically calculated values with different values of 2k₄ to obtain the best fit. Hydrogen donors such as cyclopentane, anisole, methyl tert-butyl ether, and methanol were chosen for the study. A value of (1.3 ± 0.5) × 10⁹M^?1 sec^?1 for the rate constant of the self-reaction of tert-butoxy radicals has been determined at 293°K.     

Rate coefficients for the reactions of OH radicals with Methylglyoxal and Acetaldehyde

Rate coefficients have been measured for the reaction of OH radicals with methylglyoxal from 260 to 333 K using the discharge flow technique and laser-induced fluorescence detection of OH. The rate coefficient was found to be (1.32±0.30) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 at room temperature, with a distinct negative temperature dependence (E/R of ?830 ± 300 K). These are the first measurements of the temperature dependence of this reaction. The reaction of OH with acetaldehyde was also investigated, and a rate coefficient of (1.45 ± 0.25) × 10^?11 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 was found at room temperature, in accord with recent studies. Experiments in which O₂ was added to the flow showed regeneration of OH following the reaction of CH₃CO radicals with O₂. However, chamber experiments at atmospheric pressure using FTIR detection showed no evidence for OH production. FTIR experiments have also been used to investigate the chemistry of the CH₃COCO radical formed by hydrogen abstraction from methylglyoxal. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation of nanoparticles by reducing intermediate radicals formed in sonolytical pyrolysis of surfactants

Metal nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution could be prepared by sonolysis of aqueous solutions of metal cations in the presence of surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate, polyethylene glycol monostearate, etc. The role of the surfactans is not only to stabilize formed particles, but also to produce reductive radicals in pyrolysis or hydrogen abstraction of OH radicals from surfactants. Particles with a smaller size could be obtained in a faster reduction rate with dilute metal cations concentration. Pt(IV) is consecutively reduced in two steps to Pt(0)via Pt(II). By comparing the sonolytical reduction withγ-ray radiolysis, two kinds of organic reducing radicals are proposed to contribute to the reduction. One (R_ab) is an intermediate radical which is produced by hydrogen abstraction of OH radical from surfactant and effective only on the reduction of Pt(II) to Pt(0). The other (R_py) is also an intermediate radical which is produced by thermal decomposition of surfactant at the interface between the cavity and bulk solution and effective on the reduction of Pt(IV) to Pt(II).     

Reactivity of allylic hydrogen in cyclohexadiene towards OH radicals

The yield of benzene in the reaction of 1,4- and 1,3-cyclohexadiene with OH radicals in the presence of oxygen was determined using H₂O₂ and CH₃ONO as OH radical sources. Both in the H₂O₂ and the CH₃ONO systems, the yield of benzene from 1,4-cyclohexadiene was 15.3% and the yield from 1,3-cyclohexadiene was 8.9%. On the basis of the obtained yields, the rate constant for allylic hydrogen abstraction per C? H in cyclohexadiene was determined to be 3.8 × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The branching ratio of the hydrogen abstraction to overall reaction for 1-butene and 1-pentene was estimated to be (25–14)% by applying the obtained rate constants. The result was in good agreement with the branching ratio determined directly by use of the discharge flow photoionization mass spectrometer by Biermann, Harris, and Pitts [4].     

The gas-phase reaction of hydrazine and ozone: A nonphotolytic source of OH radicals for measurement of relative OH radical rate constants

The homogeneous gas-phase reaction of N₂H₄ with O₃ in air atmospheric pressure has been used to generate OH radicals in the dark, allowing the determination of relative OH radical rate constants for compounds which photolyze rapidly. This technique was first validated by determining the OH radical rate constant ratios for n-butane/cyclohexane and methanol/dimethyl ether, both of which are in excellent agreement with the literature values. The rate constant for the reaction of OH radicals with methyl nitrite at 300 ± 3 K was then determined relative to those for the reaction of OH radicals with n-hexane and dimethyl ether. The resulting rate constant of 1.8 × 10^?13 cm³/molecule·s is about seven times lower than those of previous measurements which employed a different nonphotolytic relative rate method.     

Mechanisms for the Breakdown of Halomethanes through Reactions with Ground‐State Cyano Radicals

One route to break down halomethanes is through reactions with radical species. The capability of the artificial force‐induced reaction algorithm to efficiently explore a large number of radical reaction pathways has been illustrated for reactions between haloalkanes (CX₃Y; X=H, F; Y=Cl, Br) and ground‐state (²Σ⁺) cyano radicals (CN). For CH₃Cl+CN, 71 stationary points in eight different pathways have been located and, in agreement with experiment, the highest rate constant (10⁸ s^?1 M ^?1 at 298 K) is obtained for hydrogen abstraction. For CH₃Br, the rate constants for hydrogen and halogen abstraction are similar (10⁹ s^?1 M ^?1), whereas replacing hydrogen with fluorine eliminates the hydrogen‐abstraction route and decreases the rate constants for halogen abstraction by 2–3 orders of magnitude. The detailed mapping of stationary points allows accurate calculations of product distributions, and the encouraging rate constants should motivate future studies with other radicals.     

On the mechanism of reaction of tert-butoxyl radicals with dialkylphosphites

It has been shown by ESR spectroscopy that the title reaction involves abstraction of hydrogen from the phosphite, since at ?10°C the reaction has a kinetic deuterium isotope effect, k_H/k_D, or ～3. The rate constant for hydrogen abstraction is c. 2 × 10⁴ M^?1 s^?1. There is no significant addition of alkoxyl radicals to the phosphite.     

Reactivity of monoenic and conjugated diene systems present in unsaturated olefin terpolymers—I. Reactions with t-butoxy radicals (CH3)3 CO•

The relative rate constants for the hydrogen abstraction and the double bond addition reactions of t-butoxy radicals (CH₃)₃ CO^? with the model compounds 5-ethylidennorbornane (I), dihydrodicyclopentene (II), isopropylidendicyclopentene (III) and methylcyclopentadienylnorbornylmethane (IV) have been determined by using as a reference reaction the hydrogen abstraction for iso-octane. With (I), (III) and (IV) the predominant process is the hydrogen abstraction, whilst for (II) both mechanisms are important. The results have been applied for the elucidation of some aspects of the initiating mechanism of peroxide-induced cross-linking of EPDM and EPTM terpolymers containing (I)-(IV) pendants.     

The Structure and Properties of Phenol-2,4-disulfonic Acid Dihydrate

The crystal and molecular structure of phenol-2,4-disulfonic acid dihydrate was determined by X-ray structure analysis. All hydrogen positions in the crystal structure were found using difference Fourier syntheses. Oxonium cations and acid anions were linked in the crystal structure by short H-bonds, and the phenol OH group participated in two weak H-bonds with sulfo group oxygens simultaneously. The IR frequency corresponding to ν_{s, as} (H₃O⁺) vibrations decreased to 2700 cm^?1 under the influence of short H-bonds between oxonium cations and anions. The contour of the corresponding absorption band became anomalously broad. A discrete maximum was observed at 3412 cm^?1 on the high-frequency wing of this band; this maximum was assigned to OH stretching vibrations of the phenol group. The protonic conductivity of the compound measured by impedance spectroscopy was 2.5 × 10^?6 Ω^?1 cm^?1 at 298 K in a vacuum, E _a = 0.37 ± 0.01 eV. An increase in the humidity of the environment to 15% at room temperature increased conductivity from 10^?6 to 10^?5 Ω^?1 cm^?1, E _a = 0.27 ± 0.02 eV.     

Rate constants for reactions of perfluorobutylperoxyl radical with alkenes

Perfluorobutylperoxyl radicals were produced by radiolytic reduction of perfluorobutyl iodide in aerated methanol solutions. Rate constants for the reactions of this peroxyl radical with various organic compounds were determined by kinetic spectrophotometric pulse radiolysis. The rate constants for alkanes and alkenes were determined by competition kinetics using chlorpromazine as a reference. The results indicate that hydrogen abstraction from aliphatic compounds takes place with a rate constant that is too slow to measure in our system (<10⁵ M^?1 s^?1), and that abstraction of allylic and doubly allylic hydrogens is slow compared with addition. Addition to alkenes takes place with rate constants of the order of k = 10⁶ ? 10⁸ M^?1 s^?1. Good correlation was obtained between log k and the Taft substituent constants σ* for the various substituents on the double bond. Perfluorobutylperoxyl radical is found to be more reactive than trichloromethylperoxyl and other peroxyl radicals.     

Insight into the Mechanism of the Initial Reaction of an OH Radical with DNA/RNA Nucleobases: A Computational Investigation of Radiation Damage

Earlier theoretical investigations of the mechanism of radiation damage to DNA/RNA nucleobases have claimed OH radical addition as the dominating pathway based solely on energetics. In this study we supplement calculations of energies with the kinetics of all possible reactions with the OH radical through hydrogen abstraction and OH radical addition onto carbon sites, using DFT at the ωB97X‐D/6‐311++G(2df,2pd) level with the Eckart tunneling correction. The overall rate constants for the reaction with adenine, guanine, thymine, and uracil are found to be 2.17×10^?12, 5.64×10^?11, 2.01×10^?11, and 5.03×10^?12 cm³ molecules^?1 s^?1, respectively, which agree exceptionally well with experimental values. We conclude that abstraction of the amine group hydrogen atoms competes with addition onto C₈ as the most important reaction pathway for the purine nucleobases, while for the pyrimidine nucleobases addition onto C₅ and C₆ competes with the abstraction of H₁. Thymine shows favourability against abstraction of methyl hydrogens as the dominating pathway based on rate constants. These mechanistic conclusions are partly explained by an analysis of the electrostatic potential together with HOMO and LUMO orbitals of the nucleobases.     

Kinetics and rate constants for the reaction of tri-n-butylgermanium hydride with methyl iodide and carbon tetrachloride. The combination of methyl and trichloromethyl radicals in solution.

The kinetics of the photoinitiated reductions of methyl iodide and carbon tetrachloride by tri-n-butylgermanium hydride in cyclohexane at 25°C have been studied and absolute rate constants have been measured. Rate constants for the combination of CH₃? and CCl₃? radicals are equal within experimental error and are also equal to the values found for the self-reactions of most non-polymeric radicals in low viscosity solvents, i.e. ～1–3 × 10⁹ M^?1 sec^?1. Rate constants for hydrogen atom abstraction by CH₃? and CCl₃? radicals are both ～1?2 × 10⁵ M^?1 sec^?1. Tri-n-butyltin hydride is about 10–20 times as good a hydrogen donor to alkyl radicals as is tri-n-butylgermanium hydride. The strength of the germanium–hydrogen bond, D(n-Bu₃Ge–H) is estimated to be approximately 84 kcal/mole.     

Absolute rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from hydrocarbons by the trichloromethylperoxyl radical

Absolute rate constants have been measured for the reactions of trichloromethylperoxyl radicals with cyclohexane, cyclohexene, and hexamethylbenzene. The CCl₃O₂ radicals were produced by pulse radiolysis of air-saturated CCl₄ solutions containing various amounts of the hydrocarbons. The rate constants were determined by competition with the one-electron oxidation of metalloporphyrins, using the rate of formation of the metalloporphyrin radical cation absorption to monitor the reaction by kinetic spectrophotometry. The rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from cyclohexane, cyclohexene, and hexamethylbenzene were found to be 1 × 10³, 1.0 × 10⁵, and 7.5 × 10⁴ M^?1 s^?1, respectively.     

CH3NHNH2 + OH reaction: Mechanism and dynamics studies

A direct dynamics study was carried out for the multichannel reaction of CH₃NHNH₂ with OH radical. Two stable Conformers (I, II) of CH₃NHNH₂ are identified by the rotation of the ? CH₃ group. For each conformer, five hydrogen‐abstraction channels are found. The reaction mechanisms of product radicals (CH₃NNH₂ and CH₃NHNH) with OH radical are also investigated theoretically. The electronic structure information on the potential energy surface is obtained at the B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level and the energetics along the reaction path is refined by the BMC‐CCSD method. Hydrogen‐bonded complexes are presented at both the reactant and product sides of the five channels, indicating that the reaction may proceed via an indirect mechanism. The influence of the basis set superposition error (BSSE) on the energies of all the complexes is discussed by means of the CBS‐QB3 method. The rate constants of CH₃NHNH₂ + OH are calculated using canonical variational transition‐state theory with the small‐curvature tunneling correction (CVT/SCT) in the temperature range of 200–1000 K. Slightly negative temperature dependence of rate constant is found in the temperature range from 200 to 345 K. The agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is good. It is shown that for Conformer I, hydrogen‐abstraction from ? NH? position is the primary pathway at low temperature; the hydrogen‐abstraction from ? NH₂ is a competitive pathway as the temperature increases. A similar case can be concluded for Conformer II. The overall rate constant is evaluated by considering the weight factors of each conformer from the Boltzmann distribution function, and the three‐term Arrhenius expressions are fitted to be k_T = 1.6 × 10^?24T^4.03exp (1411.5/T) cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 between 200–1000 K. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2009     

MIL-101(Cr)-decorated Ti/TiO2 anode for electrochemical oxidation of aromatic pollutants from water

Hydroxyl radicals (^?OH) generated on anode play a vital role in electrochemical oxidation (EO) of organic pollutants for water treatment. Inspired by the four-electron oxygen evolution reaction (OER), we supposed an anode-selection strategy to stabilize deeply oxidized states (*O and *OOH) which are beneficial to generating ^?OH. To verify the hypothesis, a candidate anode component (MIL-101(Cr), a well-known metal-organic framework with active variable-valence transition metal centers) was used to coat Ti/TiO₂ plate to fabricate anodes. Compared to TiO₂(101) plane on undecorated anode surface, fast and complete removal of aniline and phenol, and improved energy utilization were achieved on MIL-101(Cr)-coated-Ti/TiO₂ anode. Mechanism investigation, including pollutant degradation pathways, showed the predominate contribution (69.60%–75.13%) of ^?OH in pollutant mineralization. Density functional theory (DFT) computations indicated Cr site in MIL-101(Cr) was more conducive to stabilizing *O and *OOH, leading to thermodynamical spontaneous generation of ^?OH. This work opens up an exciting avenue to explore ^?OH production, and supplies a useful guidance to the development of anode materials for EO process.     

Quantum Chemical Approach for Determining Degradation Pathways of Phenol by Electrical Discharge Plasmas

This study uses density functional theory (DFT) simulations to predict the main pathways by which hydroxyl (OH) radicals oxidize phenol into monohydroxylated products during an electrical discharge directly in or contacting water. The calculated activation energies and reaction rate constants indicate that phenol ring H abstraction is less likely to occur than OH addition, which will be the fastest in the ortho and para positions. The chain propagation with molecular oxygen of such formed ortho and para radicals will result in the production of hydroquinone and catechol, which are, concurrently, the most likely products of phenol degradation by OH radicals. Electron transfer reactions between dihydroxycyclohexadienyl radicals and plasma oxidative species are another important reaction mechanism which may be contributing significantly to the formation of products. Good agreement between computed kinetic and experimental data demonstrates the feasibility of applying DFT to investigate chemical reaction mechanisms.     

Pulse radiolysis study of the reaction of OH radicals with C2H4 over the temperature range 343–1173 K

The reaction of OH and OD radicals with ethylene in the presence of 1 atm argon and 6 Torr water vapor was studied in the temperature range 343–1173 K. The results reveal three kinetically separate temperature regions: (1) 343–563 K, where the disappearance of OH radical is dominated by the addition of OH to the double bond of ethylene; (2) 563–748 K, where concurrent reactions of addition, the reverse reaction of addition and H-atom abstraction is dominant; and (3) 748–1173 K, where H-atom abstraction is likely the main reaction. The rate for hydrogen abstraction is 2.4 × 10^?11 exp[(?2104 ± 125)/T] cm³/molec-s (for OD 2.1 × 10^?11 exp[(?2130 ± 172)/T] cm³/molec-s). There was no obvious pyrolysis of ethylene below 1073 K. The study of OD radical with ethylene shows a small isotope effect.     

Reaction of F atoms with dichloromethane by modulated molecular beam mass spectrometry

The reaction of atomic fluorine with dichloromethane has been studied by the diffusion cloud in a flow technique. Fluorine atoms were generated through F₂ dissociation in a high-frequency discharge. The reaction products were detected mass spectrometrically, applying the technique of focusing the paramagnetic component of the molecular beam in an inhomogeneous magnetic field to detect radical species. Cl atoms and CHCl₂ and CF₃ free radicals have been identified among the reaction products. The initial step was shown to be hydrogen atom abstraction. The room temperature rate constant of this reaction was found to be k₀ = (1.51 ± 0.28) X 10^?11 cm³/s. The rate constant of the secondary reaction of fluorine atoms with dichloromethyl radicals, which is suggested to produce mainly HCl, was evaluated as 3 X 10^?10 cm³/s.     

Estimation of O-H bond dissociation energies in alcohols and acids from kinetic data

The O-H bond dissociation energies (D _O-H) in five alcohols and six acids have been determined from experimental data (rate constants of radical reactions). The ratio of the rate constants of the reactions R¹O˙+RH→R¹OH+R˙ and R ⁱ O˙+RH→R ⁱ OH+R˙ and the intersecting parabolas method are used in the estimation procedure. The D _O-H values are used to calculate the activation energies and rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from 2-methylbutane, butene-1, and cumene by alkoxyl and carboxyl radicals. The geometric parameters of the transition state are calculated for these reactions.