Kinetics and mechanism for the oxidation of alkanes by peroxynitrous acid in the gas phase: the slow step involving reaction with oh radicals

Abstract

A kinetic distributive method was used to determine the relative rate constants (k RH/k EtH) and activation parameters of reactions of alkanes (propane, butane, pentane, hexane, heptane, isobutane, cyclopentane, and cyclohexane) with peroxynitrous acid (HOONO) in the gas phase at 15–55 °C. The similarity of these results with the data for the reactions RH + OH indicates that OH radicals are the active species in the reactions of HOONO with hydrocarbons.