Atmospheric chemistry of methoxyflurane: Reaction with Cl atoms and further degradation

Abstract

AbstractA dual‐level direct dynamics technique is used to explore the kinetic properties of the reaction of Cl atoms with methoxyflurane (CH3OCF2CHCl2). The energy profiles of two reaction channels of the two conformers are refined with the interpolated single‐point energies (ISPE) method at the CCSD(T)/M06‐2X level. The canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with a small‐curvature tunneling (SCT) correction is used to assess the rate coefficients over a wide temperature range (250–500 K) in order to get accurate results. At a temperature of 296 K, the calculated CVT/SCT rate coefficient kCl = 2.71 × 10−13 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 is found to be in reasonably good agreement with the experimental result. Our calculations demonstrate that CH3OCF2CHCl2 + Cl → CH2OCF2CHCl2 + HCl (R1) reaction is the key pathway and a prominent conduit for CH3OCF2CHCl2 degradation in the troposphere. The atmospheric loss of C•H2OCF2CHCl2 and CH3OCF2C•Cl2 radicals are discussed. The rate coefficient value of the oxidation of the primary product HC(O)OCF2CHCl2 with the Cl atoms is 1.8 × 10−14 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, and for the first time, the rate coefficient of HC(O)OCF2CHCl2 + OH reaction has also been reported here.