Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with a series of bi- and tricycloalkanes at 299 ± 2 K: Effects of ring strain

Relative rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with a series of bi- and tricyclic alkanes have been determined at 299 ± 2 K, using methyl nitrite photolysis in air as a source of OH radicals. Using a rate constant for the reaction of OH radicals with cyclohexane of 7.57 × 10^?12 cm³/molec·s, the rate constants obtained are (× 10¹² cm³/molec·s): bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, 5.53 ± 0.15; bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, 14.8 ± 1.0; bicyclo[3.3.0]octane, 11.1 ± 0.6; cis-bicyclo[4.3.0]nonane, 17.3 ± 1.3; trans-bicyclo[4.3.0]nonane, 17.8 ± 1.3; cis-bicyclo[4.4.0]decane, 20.1 ± 1.4; trans-bicyclo[4.4.0]decane, 20.6 ± 1.2; tricyclo[5.2.1.0^2,6]decane, 11.4 ± 0.4; and tricyclo[3.3.1.1^3,7]decane, 23.2 ± 2.1. These data show that overall ring strain energies of ?4–5 kcal mol^?1 have no significant effect on the rate constants, but that larger ring strain results in the rate constants being decreased, relative to those expected for the strain-free molecules, by ratios which increase approximately exponentially with the overall ring strain.