Radiolysis of methylcyclopentane. III. Liquid phase mechanism and comparison of cycloalkanes

Abstract

The initial yields of the major products of the gamma radiolysis of liquid methylcyclopentane (MCP) at 25° are: G(H2) = 4.2, G(1-methylcyclopentene plus methylenecyclopentane) = 2.7, G(3- plus 4-methyl-cyclopentene) = 1.0, G(open chain hexene) = 1.0, and G(bimethylcyclopentyl) = 0.9. The effects of scavengers on the product yields are reported and the mechanism is discussed.The liquid phase radiolytic decompositions of cyclohexane (CH), methylcyclohexane (MCH), cyclopentane (CP), and MCP are compared. The net amount of C—C bond cleavage is much greater in the five-membered than in the six-membered rings. Methyl substitution on the ring reduces G(H2) by about one unit, mainly because of the formation of a type of ion (QH+) that does not yield hydrogen when neutralized by an electron. The QH+ type ions are formed in MCH and MCP, but not in CH and CP. In all the systems, another type of ion (N+) that does not yield hydrogen when neutralized by an electron is formed with a G value of about unity. The type of ion (PH+) that does yield hydrogen when neutralized by an electron has a G value of 3.4 in CH and CP, but only 2.0 in MCP. It is concluded that G(total ionization) is in the vicinity of 4.4 in the liquid compounds, virtually the same as the gas phase values.