Reaction of methyl radicals with cis-butene-2
Methyl radicals generated by di-t-butylperoxide pyrolysis interact at comparable rates with cis-butene-2 in the gas phase by both addition and hydrogen atom abstraction. The determination of the rate of these reactions was simplified by the addition of a large concentration of acetaldehyde to the system. The additive, a source of low activation energy abstractable hydrogen atoms, was effective in suppressing polymerization reactions, and in addition, maintained a high steady state methyl radical concentration as a result of the carbonyl radical decomposition. The rate constants, k5 and k6 for the reactions [5] and [6], were determined to be 4.5 × 1010exp (−7000/RT)and 1.8 × 1010exp (−7300/RT)[Formula: see text]cm3 mole−1 s−1, respectively, over the temperature range 126–163 °C. The butenyl radical formed in reaction [6] isomerizes much faster than its interaction with other species in the system, and the distribution of the various conformations is similar to the equilibrium distribution of the butenes at a similar temperature.