Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of selected dibasic esters with the OH radical

Using a relative rate method, rate constants have been measured for the gas-phase reactions of the OH radical with the dibasic esters dimethyl succinate [CH₃OC(O)CH₂CH₂C(O)OCH₃], dimethyl glutarate [CH₃OC(O)CH₂CH₂CH₂C(O)OCH₃], and dimethyl adipate [CH₃OC(O)CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂C(O)OCH₃] at 298±3 K. The rate constants obtained were (in units of 10⁻¹² cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹): dimethyl succinate, 1.4±0.6; dimethyl glutarate, 3.3±1.1; and dimethyl adipate, 8.4±2.5, where the indicated errors include the estimated overall uncertainty of ±25% in the rate constant for cyclohexane, the reference compound. The calculated tropospheric lifetimes of these dibasic esters due to gas-phase reaction with the OH radical range from 1.4 days for dimethyl adipate to 8.3 days for dimethyl succinate 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: 471–474, 1998