Propyl Radicals Research Articles

The Mercury (3P1) Photo-Sensitized Decomposition of Propane at High Temperatures

The mercury (3P1) photo-sensitized decomposition of propane has been studied from room temperature to 450°C at pressures between 4 and 300 mm. The high temperature results are explained in terms of the decomposition of the propyl radical to form ethylene or propylene, and activation energies of 20 and 38 kilocalories, respectively, are assigned to these reactions. Experiments are also described where propane and propylene were in competition for hydrogen atoms, the relative rates of reaction being found at three temperatures. The difference in the activation energies of the two reactions is 4 kilocalories. The reactions at lower pressures are more complex and only a qualitative description of them can be given.

THE REACTION OF HYDROGEN ATOMS WITH PROPYLENE

The reaction of hydrogen atoms with propylene has been studied by the Wood–Bonhoeffer method over the temperature range 30 to 250 °C. The principal products are propane, ethane, and methane. No unsaturated products were isolated. The nature and proportions of products are independent of temperature. A mechanism is suggested, based on the formation of an active propyl radical as the primary step.

394. Free radicals and atoms in primary photochemical processes. The free propyl radical from diisopropyl ketone

394. Free radicals and atoms in primary photochemical processes. The free propyl radical from diisopropyl ketone