Browsing by Author "Tellbach, Elsa"

The thermal dissociation reaction C2F4(+ M) -> 2CF(2)(+ M) was studied in shock waves monitoring CF2 radicals by their UV absorption. The absorption coefficients as functions of wavelength and temperature were redetermined and are represented in analytical form. Dissociation rate constants as functions of bath gas concentration [M] and temperature, from previous and the present work, are presented analytically employing falloff expressions from unimolecular rate theory. Equilibrium constants are determined between 1200 and 1500 K. The data are shown to be consistent, with a C-C bond energy of 67.5 (+/- 0.5) kcal mol(-1). High-pressure limiting rate constants for dissociation and recombination are found to be unusually small. This phenomenon can be attributed to an unusually pronounced anisotropy of the potential energy surface, such as demonstrated by quantum-chemical calculations of the potential energy surface.

There has been considerable debate and speculation about the role of weakly bound complexes in radical molecule reactions in the gas phase, especially in atmospheric chemistry. Among the significant number of potentially important molecular aggregates in chemical reactions, water complexes are of particular interest. Beyond the well-known energy transfer role of water in complex-forming reactions, it has been shown that water may also have a catalytic effect on the kinetics of radical-molecule reactions because of reduced reaction barrier heights for the complexes. Here we report studies of the reaction of OH radicals and propionaldehyde in the presence and absence of water vapor between 300 and 60 K in Laval nozzle expansions. Water accelerates the overall reaction at low temperatures but much less pronounced than for the reaction of OH with acetaldehyde reported recently. Quantum chemical calculations help us to understand this behavior, which can be rationalized in terms of the stability of intermediate reaction complexes and the effect of water aggregation on the barrier separating prereactive complexes and products.

The thermal decomposition of CF4 (+Ar) > CF3 + F (+Ar) was studied in shock waves over the temperature range 2000-3000 K varying the bath gas concentration [Ar] between 4 x 10(-6) and 9 x 10(-5) mol cm(-3). It is shown that the reaction corresponds to the intermediate range of the falloff curve. By combination with room temperature data for the reverse reaction CF3 + F (+He) -> CF4 (+He) and applying unimolecular rate theory, falloff curves over the temperature range 300-6000 K are modeled. A comparison with the reaction system CH4 (+M) double left right arrow CH3 + H (+M) is made.

The thermal decomposition reactions of CF3CF2H and CF3CFHCF3 have been studied in shock waves by monitoring the appearance of CF2 radicals. Temperatures in the range 1400-2000 K and Ar bath gas concentrations in the range (2-10) Chi 10(-5) mol cm(-3) were employed. It is shown that the reactions are initiated by C-C bond fission and not by HF elimination. Differing conclusions in the literature about the primary decomposition products, such as deduced from experiments at very low pressures, are attributed to unimolecular falloff effects. By increasing the initial reactant concentrations in Ar from 60 to 1000 ppm, a retardation of CF2 formation was observed while the final CF2 yields remained close to two CF2 per C2F5H or three CF2 per C3F7H decomposed. This is explained by secondary bimolecular reactions which lead to comparably stable transient species like CF3H, releasing CF2 at a slower rate. Quantum-chemical calculations and kinetic modeling help to identify the reaction pathways and provide estimates of rate constants for a series of primary and secondary reactions in the decomposition mechanism.

The thermal decomposition of hexafluoropropylene oxide, C3F6O, to perfluoroacetyl fluoride, CF3COF, and CF2 has been studied in shock waves highly diluted in Ar between 630 and 1000 K. The measured rate constant k(1) = 1.1 x 10(14) exp(-162(+4) kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1) agrees well with literature data and modelling results. Using the reaction as a precursor, equimolar mixtures of CF3COF and CF2 were further heated. Combining experimental observations with theoretical modelling (on the CBS-QB3 and G(4)MP(2) ab initio composite levels), CF3COF is shown to dissociate on two channels, either leading to CF2 + COF2 or to CF3 + FCO. By monitoring the CF2 signals, the branching ratio was determined between 1400 and 1900 K. The high pressure rate constants for the two channels were obtained from theoretical modelling as k(5,infinity)(CF3COF -> CF2 + COF2) = 7.1 x 10(14)exp(-320 kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1) and k(6),(infinity)(CF3COF -> CF3 + FCO) = 3.9 x 10(15) exp(-355 kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1). The experimental results obtained at [Ar] approximate to 5 x 10(-6) mol cm(-3) were consistent with modelling results, showing that the reaction is in the falloff range of the unimolecular dissociation. The mechanism of secondary reactions following CF3COF dissociation has been analysed as well.

The thermal decomposition of octafluorooxalane, C4F8O, to C2F4 + CF2 + COF2 has been studied in shock waves highly diluted in Ar between 1300 and 2200 K. The primary dissociation was shown to be followed by secondary dissociation of C2F4 and dimerization of CF2. The primary dissociation was found to be in its falloff range and falloff curves were constructed. The limiting low and high pressure rate constants were estimated and compared with modelling results. Quantum-chemical calculations identified possible reaction pathways, either leading directly to the final products of the reaction or passing through an open-chain CF2CF2CF2 intermediate which dissociates in a second step.

The thermal dissociation of octafluorocyclobutane, c-C4F8, was studied in shock waves over the range 1150-2300 K by recording UV absorption signals of CF2. It was found that the primary reaction nearly exclusively produces 2 C2F4 which afterwards decomposes to 4 CF2. A primary reaction leading to CF2 + C3F6 is not detected (an upper limit to the yield of the latter channel was found to be about 10 percent). The temperature range of earlier single pulse shock wave experiments was extended. The reaction was shown to be close to its high pressure limit. Combining high and low temperature results leads to a rate constant for the primary dissociation of k(1) = 10(15.97) exp(-310.5 kJ mol(-1)/RT) s(-1) in the range 630-1330 K, over which k(1) varies over nearly 14 orders of magnitude. Calculations of the energetics of the reaction pathway and the rate constants support the conclusions from the experiments. Also they shed light on the role of the 1,4-biradical CF2CF2CF2CF2 as an intermediate of the reaction.

The thermal dissociation of C3F6 was studied between 1330 and 2210 K in shock waves monitoring the UV absorption of CF2. CF2 yields of about 2.6 per parent C3F6 were obtained at reactant concentrations of 500-1000 ppm in the bath gas Ar. These yields dropped to about 1.8 when reactant concentrations were lowered to 60 ppm. The increase of the CF2 yield with increasing concentration was attributed to bimolecular reactions between primary and secondary dissociation products. Quantum-chemical and kinetic modeling calculations helped to estimate the contributions from the various primary dissociation steps. It was shown that the measurements correspond to unimolecular reactions in their falloff range. Falloff representations of the rate constants are given, leading to an overall high pressure rate constant k(infinity) = 2.0 x 10(17)(-104 kcal mol(-1)/RT) s(-1) and a relative rate of about 2/3:1/3 for the reactions C3F6 -> CF3CF + CF2 versus C3F6 -> C2F3 + CF3.

The thermal dissociation of c-C3F6 has been studied in shock waves over the range 620-1030 K monitoring the UV absorption of CF2. The reaction was studied dose to its high-pressure limit, but some high-temperature falloff was accounted for. Quantum-chemical and kinetic modeling rationalized the experimental data. The reaction is suggested to involve the 1,3 biradical CF2CF2CF2 intermediate. CF2 formed by the dissociation of c-C3F6 dimerizes to C2F4. The measured rate of this reaction is also found to correspond to the falloff range. Rate constants for 2CF(2) -> C2F4 as a function of temperature and bath gas concentration [Ar] are given and shown to be consistent with literature values for the high-pressure rate constants from experiments at lower temperatures and dissociation rate constants obtained in the falloff range at higher temperatures. The onset of falloff at intermediate temperatures is analyzed.

Monitoring UV absorption signals of SiF2 and SiF, the thermal dissociation reactions of SiF4 and SiF2 were studied in shock waves. Rationalizing the experimental observations by standard unimolecular rate theory in combination with quantum-chemical calculations of the reaction potentials, rate constants for the thermal dissociation reactions of SiF4, SiF3, and SiF2 and their reverse recombination reactions were determined over broad temperature and pressure ranges. A comparison of fluorosilicon and fluorocarbon chemistry was finally made.