Very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP) of pentynes. III. Pent-2-yne. Heat of formation and resonance stabilization energy of the 3-methylpropargyl radical

The thermal unimolecular decomposition of pent-2-yne has been studied over the temperature range of 988–1234 K using the technique of very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP). The main reaction pathway is C₄? C₅ bond fission producing the resonance-stabilized 3-methylpropargyl radical. There is a concurrent process producing molecular hydrogen and penta-1,2,4-triene presumably via the intermediate formation of cis-penta-1,3-diene. The 1,4-hydrogen elimination from cis-penta-1,3-diene is the rate-determining step in the molecular pathway. This is supported by an independent VLPP study of cis- and trans-penta-1,3-diene. RRKM calculations show that the experimental rate constants for C? C bond fission are consistent with the following high-pressure rate expression at 1100 K: where θ = 2.303RT kcal/mol and the A factor was assigned from the results of shock-tube studies of related alkynes. The activation energy leads to ΔHCH₃C?C?H₂] = 70.3 and DHCH₃CCCH₂? H] = 87.4 kcal/mol. The resonance stabilization energy of the 3-methylpropargyl radical is 10.6 ± 2.5 kcal/mol, which is consistent with previous results for this and other propargylic radicals.