Benzene oxidation perturbed by NO2 addition

Abstract

By altering the O, H and OH radical concentrations through the addition of NO2 to benzene oxidation studies in a flow reactor, it has been shown that the predominate route to the formation of the important intermediate phenoxy radical is by the reaction of phenyl with O2. These studies have also shown that O atom addition to benzene to form phenol which then reacts with radicals is not an important route to the formation of phenoxy. Further, the fate of the cyclopentadienyl radical, another important intermediate, has been shown to be determined not by reactions with O2, but with members of the OH, H and O radical pool.