Electron detachment reactions of fluorinated carbanions with atomic hydrogen

Abstract

Rate constants were measured for electron detachment reactions of atomic hydrogen with CF−3, C2F−5, and C3F−3. The experiments were performed using a selected ion flow tube (SIFT) instrument. The density of atomic hydrogen was calibrated by studying the reaction of F− with H, and rate constants were measured relative to the known rate constant for this reaction. The reactions with H are fast, proceeding at 17%–66% of the collisional rates. No ionic products were observed for any of the reactions studied. While associative detachment is exothermic for all three anions, other reactive detachment processes are also possible. These anions were found to be unreactive with H2.