Pablo M. Cometto

Kinetic Study of OH Radical Reactions with CF3CClCCl2, CF3CClCClCF3 and CF3CF=CFCF3

The relative rate technique has been used to determine the rate constants of the reactions of OH radicals with CF(3)CCl=CCl(2) (k(1)), CF(3)CCl=CClCF(3) (k(2)) and CF(3)CF=CFCF(3) (k(3)). Experiments were carried out at (298±2) K and atmospheric pressure using ultrapure nitrogen as gas bath. The decay rates of the organic species were measured relative to those of ethane, methanol, acetone, chloroethane and 2-butanone. The following rate constants were derived in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1): k(1)= (10±1)×10(-13), k(2)=(2.1±0.2)×10(-13) and k(3)=(3.7±0.2)×10(-13). This is the first experimental determination of k(1) and k(2). The rate constants obtained are compared with previous literature data to establish reactivity trends and are used to estimate the atmospheric lifetimes of the studied perhaloalkenes. From the calculated lifetimes, using an average global concentration of hydroxyl radicals, the atmospheric loss of these compounds by the OH-initiated oxidation was determined. Also, estimations have been made of the ozone depletion potential (ODP), the radiative forcing efficiency (RE), the halocarbon global warming potential (HGWP) and the global warming potential (GWP) of the perhaloalkenes. The approximate nature of these values is stressed considering that these are short-lived compounds for which these atmospheric parameters may vary according to latitude and season.

Reaction rate coefficients of OH radicals and Cl atoms with ethyl propanoate, n-propyl propanoate, methyl 2-methylpropanoate, and ethyl n-butanoate.

Kinetics of the reactions of OH radicals and Cl atoms with four saturated esters have been investigated. Rate coefficients for the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with ethyl propanoate (k(1)), n-propyl propanoate (k(2)), methyl 2-methylpropanoate (k(3)), and ethyl n-butanoate (k(4)) were measured using a conventional relative rate method and the pulsed laser photolysis-laser induced fluorescence technique. At (296 +/- 2) K, the rate coefficients obtained by the two methods were in good agreement. Significant curvatures in the Arrhenius plots have been observed in the temperature range 243-372 K for k(1), k(3), and k(4). The rate coefficients for the reactions of the four esters with Cl atoms were determined using the relative rate method at (296 +/- 2) K and atmospheric pressure. The values obtained are presented, compared with the literature values when they exist, and discussed. Reactivity trends and atmospheric implications for these esters are also presented.

Theoretical calculations of the kinetics of the OH reaction with 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol and its alkene analogue

In this work, the first and rate determining steps of the mechanism of the OH addition to 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol (MPO221) and methylpropene (M2) have been studied at the DFT level, employing the BH and HLYP functional and the cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets. The thermochemical properties of equilibrium (enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energies) have been determined within the conventional statistical thermodynamics relations and the rate coefficients have been determined on the basis of the variational transition state theory. The adoption of the microcanonical variational transition state theory was proved to be crucial for the description of the kinetics of OH addition to these unsaturated compounds. The rate coefficients obtained for the OH reactions with MPO221 and M2 at 298.15 K deviate, respectively, 27% and 13% from the experimental rate coefficient available in the literature. A non-Arrhenius profile is observed for the rate coefficients. Moreover, the values of the rate coefficients for the MPO221 + OH reaction are greater than those for the M2 + OH reaction, suggesting that the substitution of the hydrogen atom in an alkene by the –OH functional group increases the reactivity with respect to the hydroxyl radical.

Comparative kinetics of the 3-buten-1-ol and 1-butene reactions with OH radicals: a density functional theory/RRKM investigation.

The compared kinetics of the reactions of unsaturated alcohols and alkenes with OH radicals is a topic of great interest from both the theoretical chemistry and the atmospheric chemistry points of view. The enhanced reactivity of an unsaturated alcohol, with respect to its alkene analogue, toward OH radicals has been previously demonstrated, at 298 K, by experimental and theoretical research. In this work, a new comparative investigation of such reactions is performed for 3-buten-1-ol and 1-butene. The model assumes that the overall kinetics is governed by the first OH addition steps of the mechanism. Calculations have been performed at the DFT level, employing the BHandHLYP functional and the cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVDZ basis sets, and the rate coefficients have been determined on the basis of the microcanonical variational transition state theory. The rate coefficients obtained for the OH reactions with 3-buten-1-ol (kOH(31BO)) and 1-butene (kOH(1B)) at 298.15 K are lower than the experimental rate coefficient available in the literature, showing deviations of 18% and 25%, respectively. Negative temperature dependence is verified for these rate coefficients. The kOH(31BO)/kOH(1B) ratios have also been investigated as a function of the temperature, suggesting that at room temperature the unsaturated alcohol reacts with the OH radicals faster than 1-butene, by a factor of 1.2, but at higher temperatures (400-500 K), the alkene should react faster, and that the stabilization of prebarrier complexes and saddle points due to hydrogen bonds is no longer an important factor to govern the reactivity of the unsaturated alcohol toward OH radicals, with respect to the alkene analogue.

OH‐Initiated Photooxidations of 1‐Pentene and 2‐Methyl‐2‐propen‐1‐ol: Mechanism and Yields of the Primary Carbonyl Products

The products of the gas-phase reactions of OH radicals with 1-pentene and 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol (221MPO) at T=298±2 K and atmospheric pressure were investigated by using a 4500 L atmospheric simulation chamber that was built especially for this work. The molar yield of butyraldehyde was 0.74±0.12 mol for the reaction of 1-pentene. This work provides the first product molar yield determination of formaldehyde (0.82±0.12 mol), 1-hydroxypropan-2-one (0.84±0.13 mol), and methacrolein (0.078±0.012 mol) from the reaction of 221MPO with OH radicals. The mechanism of this reaction is discussed in relation to the experimental results. Additionally, taking into consideration the complex mechanism, the rate coefficients of the reactions of OH with formaldehyde, 1-hydroxypropan-2-one, and methacrolein were derived at atmospheric pressure and T=298±2 K.; the obtained values were (8.9±1.6)×10(-12) , (2.4±1.4)×10(-12) , and (22.9±2.3)×10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) , respectively.