Observation of hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide in a reaction system containing CH2OO and water vapor through pure rotational spectroscopy.

Abstract

Pure rotational transitions of hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide (HMHP) were observed in the discharged plasma of a CH2I2/O2/water gas mixture, where the water complex with the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO has been identified [M. Nakajima and Y. Endo, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 134302 (2014)]. Isotope experiments using heavy water support that the currently observed HMHP molecule was produced by the reaction of CH2OO with water vapor. The observed species was identified as the most stable conformer with the help of quantum chemical calculations. We also clarified that productions of formic acid and dioxirane are promoted by the existence of water vapor in the discharged reaction system.