O2 Addition Reactions Research Articles

Molecular Oxygen (O2) Artifacts in Tandem Mass Spectra.

Peak annotation plays an important role in mass spectral evaluation of the NIST 2023 tandem mass spectral library. While most fragment ions are formed by neutral losses, there are peaks that represent adduct ions from these fragments. Previously, we have reported two main types of addition reactions in the collision cell, namely addition of H2O and N2. Here we report a different reaction in the collision cell, with addition of O2 leading to a small peak that could only be assigned to a peroxyl radical ion. For example, some protonated iodoaromatics lose an iodine atom to form a radical cation [M+H-I]+•, which reacts with O2 to generate a peroxyl radical ion [M+H-I+O2]+•. Higher concentrations of O2 result in higher peroxyl radical peaks, which become dominant while the precursor ions are consumed, as examined by five compounds under different concentrations of O2. The correlation of the peroxyl radical peak intensities to the concentration of O2 provides a tool to estimate trace amounts of O2 within the instrument. In the NIST 2023 tandem mass spectral library, the peaks for [M+H-X+O2]+· are most abundant in numbers and in intensity for X = NO2 or I, are much less abundant for X = Br, and are rare for X = Cl. Other leaving groups in this library are SO3H, SO2NH2, CSNH2, CO2C6F5, SO2CH3, and COCH3. The O2 addition reaction is also observed with negative ions in this library. While adducts of H2O and N2 often constitute major peaks, the peaks of the peroxyl radicals under standard conditions are mostly very small and may be mistaken for noise, but their correct annotation improves the quality of the spectra and is important when comparing spectra from different instruments or conditions.

Low temperature oxidation chemistry of n-butylbenzene in n-decane/n-butylbenzene mixture: Product characterization and kinetic modeling study

n-Alkanes and aromatics are two essential components in transportation fuels and have distinct oxidation reactivities. Due to products with different chemical functionalities generated in oxidation of n-alkanes and aromatics, the interaction kinetics may significantly affect the overall reactivity as well as product distributions. This work investigated the oxidation chemistry of the mixture of n-decane and n-butylbenzene, both of which are C10 hydrocarbons commonly used as jet fuel surrogate components. The experiments were conducted in a jet stirred reactor at pressure of 1 atm, the temperature range of 450–850 K, and the equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0. Key low temperature oxidation intermediates and radicals, including C10-cyclic ethers, C10-ketohydroperoxides, C10-ketodihydroperoxide, C10-diketohydroperoxide, benzyl hydroperoxide, methyl peroxy radical and methyl hydroperoxide, were detected by using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. A detailed kinetic model was developed and validated against the speciation data in this work. Results reveal that the reactions of n-decane greatly enhance the low temperature oxidation reactivity of n-butylbenzene by efficiently producing reactive radicals, such as OH radicals. Besides, the reactions of n-butylbenzene play an inhibiting role in low temperature oxidation reactivity of n-decane. The measured intermediates, such as C10-cyclic ethers, C10-ketohydroperoxides and C10-ketodihydroperoxide, provide experimental evidence to validate the first, second and third O2-addition reactions, respectively. Due to the addition of n-decane, the evolution profiles of aromatic intermediates as a function of temperature are quite different from the cases of pure n-butylbenzene oxidation. For example, the formation of benzene, phenol and benzaldehyde at low temperatures is significantly enhanced, whose mole fractions present negative temperature coefficient behaviours. Finally, the reaction pathways of the binary fuel to produce C5C1 alkenes, alkynes, aldehydes, alcohols, acids and peroxides were analysed.

Elucidating the low temperature chemistry of o-xylene enhanced by the reaction pool of dimethyl ether

The branched aromatic hydrocarbon with short side chains, such as o-xylene, has weak low temperature oxidation reactivity, while it could proceed low temperature chain recycling reactions by blending a fuel component with higher oxidation reactivity. However, the study of low temperature oxidation kinetics of o-xylene is very scarce. Therefore, this work investigated the low temperature oxidation process of o-xylene in an atmospheric jet stirred reactor by adding a biofuel with higher low temperature oxidation reactivity, i.e. dimethyl ether (DME). A series of characteristic low temperature intermediates, such as phenyl hydroperoxides and ketohydroperoxide from the oxidation of o-xylene, were detected by using the synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS). The chemical structures of representative low temperature intermediates were determined by comparing the ionization thresholds from measured photoionization efficiency curves with calculated ionization energies. A kinetic model for o-xylene and DME mixture was developed and verified by literature and present experimental data. Rate of production (ROP) and sensitivity analyses were performed, which indicate that the low temperature oxidation chemistry of o-xylene, such as the negative temperature coefficient behavior, is enhanced by the reaction pool of DME. According to the classical low temperature oxidation mechanism of n-alkanes, the low temperature reactions of o-xylene were proposed. In particular, phenyl hydroperoxides and ketohydroperoxides were revealed to be key indicators for the occurrence of first and second O2 addition reactions during the oxidation of o-xylene, respectively. In addition, the sensitivity analysis uncovers the interaction kinetics between the reaction pools of o-xylene and DME, as well as their effects on fuel consumption and products formation. In summary, present evidence elucidates the low temperature chemistry of a representative branched aromatic, which could contribute to the development of future engines and control of combustion pollutants.

Revealing the low to moderate temperature oxidation kinetics of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene sensitized by dimethyl ether

Low to moderate temperature oxidation has been a vital topic in the combustion chemistry due to its critical role in controlling the combustion characteristics such as autoignition and pollutant emissions. Low temperature oxidation kinetics of alkanes and oxygenated biofuels have been widely explored, while that of branched aromatics is poorly understood. This work aims to investigate the low to moderate temperature oxidation kinetics of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (TMB, C9H12), which is a multi-branched alkylbenzene with weak low temperature oxidation reactivity. To enhance the low temperature oxidation reactivity of TMB, dimethyl ether (DME) was added to efficiently provide chain initiators. The oxidation experiment of TMB/DME mixture was performed with an atmospheric jet stirred reactor coupled with synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet radiation photoionization mass spectrometry. The negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behavior, as well as featured aromatic intermediates, especially phenyl hydroperoxides and unexpected highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs), were observed in the experiment. The detection of these fingerprint aromatic intermediates provide crucial evidence for revealing the low to moderate oxidation kinetics of TMB. In addition, a kinetic model was developed to provide in-depth kinetic analysis. The results demonstrate that the active chain initiators produced from DME oxidation trigger the low temperature chain-branching reactions of TMB. The chain recycling process is further sustained due to the regeneration of active intermediates such as phenyl hydroperoxides and •OH radicals. Aromatic intermediates with chemical compositions of C9H12Ox and C9H10Ox were measured and identified to be key indicators for the low temperature chemistry of TMB. In particular, the aromatic HOMs (C9H12O6 and C9H10O5) are fingerprint intermediates produced from the third O2 addition and subsequent reactions of TMB. Besides, the sensitivity analysis indicates that the interaction kinetics between TMB and DME by sharing the highly sensitive reactions of hydroperoxides and •OH radicals. The present work extends the conceptual reaction schemes proposed in alkanes towards branched aromatics, especially sequential O2 addition reactions that contributing to the formation of phenyl hydroperoxides and HOMs.

Isoprene peroxy chemistry operates competitively in areas of East China

We validated the recently updated Caltech Isoprene Mechanism (CIM), which represents the complex dynamics of isoprene peroxy isomers through repetitive O2 addition and dissociation reactions, using a dataset synthesized from two field measurements taken place in both urban and rural areas of East China. The dataset covers a large span of nitric oxide (NO) levels ranging from tens of ppt characteristic of clean rural air to tens of ppb typically found in the polluted urban environment. An observationally constrained zero-dimensional box model that incorporates the CIM mechanism was constructed to simulate the daytime profiles of methacrolein (MACR) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), two major first-generation products that account for over half of the total carbon oxidation flow of isoprene. A closer agreement with the measurements was found compared with the traditional mechanism that prescribes a fixed yield of MACR and MVK across all NO levels. This result demonstrates that the isoprene peroxy dynamics operate competitively in the area and play a governing role in the final distribution of isoprene oxidation products. The atmospheric implication is that, with effective measures taken to reduce pollutant emissions in East China, the prevailing chemical regime at play has evolved and implementing the updated isoprene mechanism into regional models will have a profound impact on the predicted radical cycling and ozone production of the local atmosphere.

Impacts of NO on low-temperature oxidation of n-heptane in a jet-stirred reactor

Low-temperature (low-T) oxidation experiments of n-heptane –with and without NO addition– were experimentally and numerically investigated at stoichiometric conditions in a jet-stirred reactor. Experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure over a temperature range of 500–800 K. Reactants, intermediates, and products, were measured using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. A detailed kinetic model was developed to gain insight into the chemical effect of NO on low-T oxidation chemistry of n-heptane. Taking 650 K as the transition temperature, the results revealed that NO addition exhibited an inhibiting effect on fuel reactivity below 650 K and a promoting effect above 650 K. The reactions of ROO + NO = RO + NO2 and HO2 + NO = OH + NO2 at different temperature regions were responsible for the inhibition and promotion effects, respectively. Evidence gathered from both experimental measurements and kinetic model predictions indicated that NO addition had a significant inhibitory effect on the formation of cool flame species during the low-T oxidation process. NO suppressed low-T oxidation via the reaction of ROO + NO = RO + NO2, which impeded the subsequent isomerization, O2 addition, OH-, and HO2-elimination reaction, and influenced product distribution of the cool flame species. The experimental observations provided detailed information about these reactive intermediates, which offered new insights into low-T oxidation phenomena and clarified the importance of NO reactions which prevent the formation of cool flame products during low-T oxidation.

Characterization of cool flame products during the low temperature oxidation of n-pentylbenzene

Radical chain recycling reactions represent a general topic in the chemistry of combustion, atmosphere, polymerization and so on. The nature and amount of OH radicals that generated by hydroperoxides during the oxidation of alkanes have been proven to drive the overall reactivity by enhancing the chain recycling steps. While low temperature oxidation kinetics of alkanes have been widely investigated, the comprehensive intermediates distribution during the low temperature oxidation of n-alkylbenzenes remains unexplored. This work selects n-pentylbenzene as a simple representative to investigate the low temperature oxidation kinetics of n-alkylbenzenes, especially intermediates and reactions that control the reactivity. The experiments were performed with a jet-stirred reactor coupled with the synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet radiation photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS). Around 70 intermediates, including phenyl hydroperoxides and highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs) were detected. By combining theoretical calculations and kinetic analysis, potential compositions and structures of key intermediates were identified and categorized into groups by their characteristic molecular formulae and chemical functionalities, such as C11H16On, C11H14On, C11H10On. Fingerprint hydroperoxides, including phenyl alkyl hydroperoxides, ketohydroperoxides, olefinic hydroperoxides, ketodihydroperoxides, were revealed to be formed from the characteristic first, second and third O2 addition and sequential reactions. These hydroperoxides play a dominant role in driving the low temperature oxidation reactivity by generating active OH radicals. The present experimental evidence, including the negative temperature coefficient behavior of n-alkylbenzenes as well as featured HOMs from the third O2 addition, extend the conceptual reaction schemes proposed in alkanes towards the oxidation of n-alkylbenzenes.

Exploring the Chemical Kinetics of the First Oxygen Addition to Di-n-Propyl Ether Radicals at Low Temperatures.

Linear ethers are promising biomass fuels with high volume energy density and high cetane number that may be used directly as alternative fuels or fuel additives in internal combustion engines. In this work, the first O2 addition reaction of the di-n-propyl ether radical was investigated using high-level quantum chemical calculations combined with the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory to solve the master equation. The potential energy surfaces of di-n-propyl ether radicals (C6H13O) with O2 were constructed at the QCISD(T)/CBS//M062X/6-311++G(d, p) level, and the rate constants were calculated for the pressure range of 0.1-100 atm and the temperature range of 300-1500 K and fitted by a modified Arrhenius formula. The calculations show that the consumption of di-n-propyl ether peroxyl radicals (C6H13O3) via the five-membered ring or six-membered ring transition-state reaction channel is most favorable. In addition, the low-temperature oxidation experiments of di-n-propyl ether were validated based on the calculations of the current work, and the results showed that the calculations were a good predictor of the experimental results.

Exploring the chemistry behind low temperature auto-ignition of isopropyl nitrate in an RCM: An experimental and kinetic modeling study

The low-temperature auto-ignition chemistry of isopropyl nitrate (iPN) was experimentally and numerically investigated in the present study. The ignition delay times (IDTs) of iPN were measured stoichiometrically over a temperature range of 560–600 K at effective pressures of 5 and 10 bar in a rapid compression machine. A two-stage ignition phenomenon of iPN was observed. Both the first-stage IDTs and total IDTs vary rapidly within the narrow temperature range investigated (∼40 K). A recent iPN kinetic mechanism proposed by Fuller and Goldsmith for pyrolysis studies was extended. The reaction kinetics of CH3CHO + NO2 has been theoretically calculated at 500–1500 K and 0.01–100 atm. The rate information of CH3 + NO2 was updated based on previous theoretical results. The O2-addition channel of acetyl radical (CH3CO), which accounts for the first-stage IDT, was also considered in the present work. The extended iPN kinetic model predicts the two-stage IDTs well. Simulation results suggest that the IDTs are most sensitive to the following two reactions: (1) CH3 + NO2 = CH3O + NO; (2) CH3 + NO2 = CH3NO2. The former promotes the overall reactivity by yielding the reactive methoxy radical, while the latter forms a relatively stable product (i.e., CH3NO2). The reaction of CH3CHO + NO2 = CH3CO + HONO supplements the formation of CH3CO. The different consumption channels of CH3CO radicals (the O2-addition reaction and the decomposition reaction) lead to different chain reactions yielding OH radicals with increasing temperature in the ignition process. The “NONO2 loop” is the main route for OH formation in the studied conditions, which is mainly responsible for the iPN ignition.

Experimental and Modeling Evaluation of Dimethoxymethane as an Additive for High-Pressure Acetylene Oxidation.

The high-pressure oxidation of acetylene–dimethoxymethane (C2H2–DMM) mixtures in a tubular flow reactor has been analyzed from both experimental and modeling perspectives. In addition to pressure (20, 40, and 60 bar), the influence of the oxygen availability (by modifying the air excess ratio, λ) and the presence of DMM (two different concentrations have been tested, 70 and 280 ppm, for a given concentration of C2H2 of 700 ppm) have also been analyzed. The chemical kinetic mechanism, progressively built by our research group in the last years, has been updated with recent theoretical calculations for DMM and validated against the present results and literature data. Results indicate that, under fuel-lean conditions, adding DMM enhances C2H2 reactivity by increased radical production through DMM chain branching pathways, more evident for the higher concentration of DMM. H-abstraction reactions with OH radicals as the main abstracting species to form dimethoxymethyl (CH3OCHOCH3) and methoxymethoxymethyl (CH3OCH2OCH2) radicals are the main DMM consumption routes, with the first one being slightly favored. There is a competition between β-scission and O2-addition reactions in the consumption of both radicals that depends on the oxygen availability. As the O2 concentration in the reactant mixture is increased, the O2-addition reactions become more relevant. The effect of the addition of several oxygenates, such as ethanol, dimethyl ether (DME), or DMM, on C2H2 high-pressure oxidation has been compared. Results indicate that ethanol has almost no effect, whereas the addition of an ether, DME or DMM, shifts the conversion of C2H2 to lower temperatures.

Revisiting low temperature oxidation chemistry of n-heptane

Benefitting from the rapid development of instrumental analysis methods, intermediate products that were difficult to probe in the past can now be measured and quantified in complex reaction systems. To understand low temperature reactions of interest for combustion applications, and reduce the deviations between model predictions and experimental measurements, constant advancement in understanding low temperature oxidation process is necessary. This work examines the oxidation of n-heptane in jet-stirred reactors at atmospheric pressure, with an initial n-heptane mole fraction of 0.005, equivalence ratio of 0.5, a residence time of 1s, and over a temperature range of 500-800 K. Reaction products were analyzed using synchrotron ultra-violet photoionization mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Ignition delay times of n-heptane/O2/CO2 mixture were measured in a rapid compression machine at 20 and 40 bar over a 600-673 K temperature range. Based on the experimental results, a comprehensive kinetic model of n-heptane low temperature oxidation was developed by considering the sub-mechanisms of keto-hydroperoxide, cyclic ether, heptene isomers, and the third O2 addition reaction, and by updating the rate constants of keto-hydroperoxide decomposition and second oxygen addition reactions. The combination of reaction mechanism development and evaluation of the rate constants of key reactions enabled the model to effectively predict the species concentrations and ignition delay times of n-heptane low temperature oxidation, providing additional insight into alkane low temperature oxidation chemistry.

An experimental and modeling study on polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether 3 (PODE3) oxidation in a jet stirred reactor

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODEn, n ≥ 1) is a class of oxygenated fuels containing unique carbon-oxygen chain structure and a promising alternative fuel for diesel engines. In this study, low-temperature oxidation characteristics of PODE3 were studied experimentally and numerically. Experiments were performed in a jet-stirred reactor (JSR) at equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0, in the temperature range of 500 to 950 K, and at atmospheric pressure. Mole fractions of PODE3, O2, H2, CO, CO2, CH3OH and C1-C2 hydrocarbons were measured by gas chromatograph (GC). Experimental measurements were compared with the simulation results based on two literature low-temperature oxidation models, denoted as the He model and the Cai model, respectively. Good agreement was obtained between the measured and simulated fuel consumption profiles, while a deviation was observed between the experimental and simulation results on the mole fractions of O2 and intermediate products at medium temperatures. Reaction pathway analyses based on the two models were performed, revealing that the second O2-addition reaction pathway is more significant in the prediction by the Cai model than that by the He model. Sensitivity analyses pointed out that the most important reactions affecting fuel consumption are the H-abstraction reactions of PODE3, and the decomposition of H2O2 and the consumption of CH2O become more sensitive at medium temperatures.

Low-temperature oxidation chemistry of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene (diisobutylene) triggered by dimethyl ether (DME): A jet-stirred reactor oxidation and kinetic modeling investigation

This paper explores the low-temperature (low-T) oxidation chemistry of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene (IC8D4, diisobutylene) by using jet-stirred reactor (JSR) experiments of both IC8D4/dimethyl ether (DME) mixture and pure IC8D4 at near atmospheric pressure and low temperatures. Oxidation species are measured using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (SVUV-PIMS), gas chromatography (GC) and GC combined with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). It is found that the oxidation of pure IC8D4 at atmospheric pressure presents negligible low-T reactivity and negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behavior, and that the oxidation reactivity of IC8D4/DME mixture is lower than that of butene/DME mixtures previously studied. A kinetic model for low-T IC8D4/DME oxidation is developed from recent oxidation models of IC8D4 and DME. Thermodynamic data of IC8D4 and key species in its sub-mechanism are obtained from theoretical calculations in this work, while rate constants of critical reactions are updated from recent theoretical calculation studies in literature. Based on the modeling analysis, four main pathways are found to be responsible for the consumption of IC8D4 at low temperatures. Among them, the first three pathways initiated by H addition, OH addition and H abstraction on allylic carbon sites are similar to those in 1-butene/DME and isobutene/DME oxidation. These three pathways are mainly responsible for promoting or retaining OH formation. The fourth pathway initiated by H abstraction on the alkyl carbon site differs from the other three in that it is only important in IC8D4/DME oxidation while not important in butenes/DME oxidation. This fourth pathway incorporates stepwise O2 addition and cycloaddition reaction sequences, which can promote and inhibit OH formation, respectively. The increasing contribution of this fourth pathway in IC8D4/DME oxidation reduces its reactivity compared to that of butenes/DME oxidation.

Unraveling the low-temperature oxidation mechanism between methyl crotonate radicals and O2

In this paper, chemical reaction kinetics at low temperatures on three different methyl crotonate (MC, C5H8O2) radicals with O2 were conducted via quantum chemical methods. The potential energy surfaces (PESs) for these reactions were investigated by M062x/6-311++G(d,p) and CBS-QB3 methods. The related rate coefficients also have been solved by master equations based on Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory, predicting the competitive relationships over 300 to 1500 K and 0.001 to 100 atm. The calculated results indicated that the rate constants of O2 addition reaction at ester methylic site were higher than those at allylic sites, which showed that the conjugation effect caused by the C=C double bond has a crucial effect on the reaction process. Formation of initial adducts and intramolecular H-transfer reactions play a great role in the low temperature oxidation of MC. Furthermore, the mechanism of O2 addition to MC radicals was verified by the previous combustion model. The updated model did a good job to replicate the previous experimental results. This work not only provides the necessary rate constants for the reaction mechanism of MC combustion but also serves as a solid starting point for the further understanding of combustion kinetics of large molecule unsaturated biodiesels.

Extreme Low-Temperature Combustion Chemistry: Ozone-Initiated Oxidation of Methyl Hexanoate.

The accelerating chemical effect of ozone addition on the oxidation chemistry of methyl hexanoate [CH3(CH2)4C(═O)OCH3] was investigated over a temperature range from 460 to 940 K. Using an externally heated jet-stirred reactor at p = 700 Torr (residence time τ = 1.3 s, stoichiometry φ = 0.5, 80% argon dilution), we explored the relevant chemical pathways by employing molecular-beam mass spectrometry with electron and single-photon ionization to trace the temperature dependencies of key intermediates, including many hydroperoxides. In the absence of ozone, reactivity is observed in the so-called low-temperature chemistry (LTC) regime between 550 and 700 K, which is governed by hydroperoxides formed from sequential O2 addition and isomerization reactions. At temperatures above 700 K, we observed the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) regime, in which the reactivity decreases with increasing temperatures, until near 800 K, where the reactivity increases again. Upon addition of ozone (1000 ppm), the overall reactivity of the system is dramatically changed due to the time scale of ozone decomposition in comparison to fuel oxidation time scales of the mixtures at different temperatures. While the LTC regime seems to be only slightly affected by the addition of ozone with respect to the identity and quantity of the observed intermediates, we observed an increased reactivity in the intermediate NTC temperature range. Furthermore, we observed experimental evidence for an additional oxidation regime in the range near 500 K, herein referred to as the extreme low-temperature chemistry (ELTC) regime. Experimental evidence and theoretical rate constant calculations indicate that this ELTC regime is likely to be initiated by H abstraction from methyl hexanoate via O atoms, which originate from thermal O3 decomposition. The theoretical calculations show that the rate constants for methyl ester initiation via abstraction by O atoms increase dramatically with the size of the methyl ester, suggesting that ELTC is likely not important for the smaller methyl esters. Experimental evidence is provided indicating that, similar to the LTC regime, the chemistry in the ELTC regime is dominated by hydroperoxide chemistry. However, mass spectra recorded at various reactor temperatures and at different photon energies provide experimental evidence of some differences in chemical species between the ELTC and the LTC temperature ranges.

A kinetics and dynamics study on the auto-ignition of dimethyl ether at low temperatures and low pressures

Though the combustion chemistry of dimethyl ether (DME) has been widely investigated over the past decades, there remains a dearth of ignition data that examines the low-temperature, low-pressure chemistry of DME. In this study, DME/‘air’ mixtures at various equivalence ratios from lean (0.5) to extremely rich (5.0) were ignited behind reflected shock waves at a fixed pressure (3.0 atm) over the temperature range 625–1200 K. The ignition behavior is different from that at high-pressures, with a repeatable ignition delay time fall-off feature observed experimentally in the temperature transition zone from the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) regime to the high-temperature regime. This could not be reproduced using available kinetic mechanisms as conventionally homogeneous ignition simulations. The fall-off behavior shows strong equivalence ratio dependence and disappears completely at an equivalence ratio of 5.0. A local ignition kernel postulate was implemented numerically to quantifiably examine the inhomogeneous premature ignition. At low temperature, no pre-ignition occurs in the mixture. A conspicuous discrepancy was observed between the measurements and constrained UV simulations at temperatures beyond the NTC regime. A third O2 addition reaction sub-set was incorporated into AramcoMech 3.0, together with related species thermochemistry calculated using the G3/G4/CBS-APNO compound method, to explore the low-temperature deviation. The new reaction class does not influence the model predictions in IDTs, but the updated thermochemistry does. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the decomposition of hydroperoxy-methylformate plays a critical role in improving the low-temperature oxidation mechanism of DME but unfortunately, the thermal rate coefficient has never been previously investigated. Further experimental and theoretical endeavors are required to attain holistic quantitative chemical kinetics based on our understanding of the low-temperature chemistry of DME.

Insight into the low-temperature oxidation of dimethylamine radicals

To thoroughly understand low-temperature oxidation of dimethylamine (DMA), the reaction kinetics of triplet ground state O2 addition to DMA radicals (CH3NHC˙H2 and CH3N˙CH3) are theoretically investigated. In CH3NHC˙H2 + O2, the direct H-abstraction reaction is significant due to its extremely low energy barrier, and the dominant channels involving intermediates, CH3NHCH2OO˙=CH3NCH2 + HO˙2,CH3NHCH2OO˙=C˙H2NHCH2OOH and C˙H2NHCH2OOH=CH2NH + CH2O + O˙H, also have much lower barriers than those in reaction system CH3CH2C˙H2 + O2. In CH3N˙CH3 + O2, the O2 addition to N atom has a tight transition state, hindering radical consumption at low temperatures. The second O2 addition to C˙H2NHCH2OOH is further investigated because of its comparable production at low temperatures and elevated pressures. The temperature- and pressure-dependent rate constants are calculated; CH3NCH2 + HO˙2 and CH2NCH2OOH + HO˙2 are the dominant products for the first and second O2 addition reactions, respectively, but the formation of formamides/O-heterocycles + O˙H is less important. Our results reveal different reaction pathways of DMA radicals from those of alkyls, and shed light on low-temperature oxidation mechanisms of N-containing fuels.

Exploring the oxidation chemistry of diisopropyl ether: Jet-stirred reactor experiments and kinetic modeling

Diisopropyl ether (DIPE) is considered as a promising gasoline additive due to the favorable blending Reid vapor pressure and the low water solubility. To get a good understanding of the DIPE oxidation chemistry, oxidation experiments of a stoichiometric mixture of DIPE/O2/Ar/Kr were performed in a jet-stirred reactor (JSR) at atmospheric pressure over the temperature range of 525–900 K in this work. About 30 intermediates and products were identified and quantified using a photoionization molecular-beam mass spectrometer (PI-MBMS). Furthermore, a detailed kinetic model was proposed for DIPE oxidation, which showed satisfactory performances in predicting the species concentration profiles in this work as well as those in literature. For DIPE oxidation, the fuel consumption was observed only above 750 K, even though DIPE has two tertiary hydrogen atoms that are easy to be abstracted so that low-temperature oxidation reactivity is expected. The low oxidation reactivity at low temperature is because the formed OOQOOH radical mostly dissociates back to QOOH+O2, instead of undergoing intramolecular isomerization which leads to the low-temperature chain-branching. At higher temperature, DIPE is mainly consumed by hydrogen abstraction reactions from the carbon atoms adjacent to the oxygen atom, producing dominantly the IC3H7OC(CH3)2 fuel radical, which then decomposes rapidly via CO bond β-scission instead of combining with O2. In contrast, the minor fuel radical IC3H7OCH(CH3)CH2 tends to go through the O2 addition reaction and the subsequent chain branching reactions, as confirmed by the detection of cyclic ether intermediates. Propylene and acetone are the most abundant intermediates in DIPE oxidation, both of which predominantly come from the initial fuel decomposition steps. Other intermediates are mainly formed via the consumption of these two species.

The impact of the third O2 addition reaction network on ignition delay times of neo-pentane

We studied the oxidation of neo-pentane by combining experiments, theoretical calculations, and mechanistic developments to elucidate the impact of the 3rd O2 addition reaction network on ignition delay time predictions. The experiments are based on photoionization mass spectrometry in jet-stirred and time-resolved flow reactors allowing for sensitive detection of the keto-hydroperoxide (KHP) and keto-dihydroperoxide (KDHP) intermediates. With neo-pentane exhibiting a unique symmetric molecular structure, which consequently results only in single KHP and KDHP isomers, theoretical calculations of ionization and fragment appearance energies and of absolute photoionization cross sections enabled the unambiguous identification and quantification of the KHP intermediate. Its temperature and time-resolved profiles together with calculated and experimentally observed KHP-to-KDHP signal ratios were compared to simulation results based on a newly developed mechanism that describes the 3rd O2 addition reaction network. A satisfactory agreement has been observed between the experimental data points and the simulation results, thus adding confidence to the model's overall performance. Finally, this mechanism was used to predict ignition delay times reported previously in shock tube and rapid compression machine experiments (J. Bugler et al., Combust. Flame 163 (2016) 138–156). While the model accurately reproduces the experimental data, simulations with and without the 3rd O2 addition reaction network included reveal only a negligible effect on the predicted ignition delay times at 10 and 20 atm. According to model calculations, low temperatures and high pressures promote the importance of the 3rd O2 addition reactions.

Experimental and kinetic modeling study of methyl heptanoate low-temperature oxidation in a jet-stirred reactor

Methyl heptanoate (MHP) is a potential surrogate component for fatty acid methyl esters found in biodiesel. The carbon chain length of MHP is long enough to enable low temperature (low-T) reactivity and negative temperature coefficient oxidation behavior during the combustion experiments, similar to the real biodiesel fuels. This paper investigated the low-T oxidation of MHP at 780 Torr and equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 in a jet-stirred reactor. Detailed speciation profiles of fuel, intermediates and products were obtained using synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. A comprehensive kinetic model with 779 species and 3594 reactions was developed and validated against the new experimental data. Model analysis indicated that the dominant reaction pathways for MHP consumption were H-abstraction reactions by radicals of OH, HO2 to produce MHP radicals under all experimental conditions. In this low-T oxidation region, O2 addition reactions were responsible for the consumption of MHP radicals. The formation pathways of unsaturated methyl esters were strongly related to the decomposition of cyclic ethers. Furthermore, the formations of CH3OOH and C2H5OOH were closely linked to the reactions of CH3O2 and C2H5O2 as well as the radicals of CH2O and HO2. This work provides detailed information relevant to low-T biodiesel oxidation chemistry and guidance for the application of biodiesel in internal combustion engines.