Reaction mechanisms of R˙ and ROO˙ radicals derived from low-temperature oxidation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane (CH3O(CH2)2OCH3) were investigated using speciation from multiplexed photoionization mass spectrometry (MPIMS) measurements via Cl-initiated oxidation, in conjunction with electronic structure calculations. The experiments were conducted at 5 bar, from 450 K – 650 K, and O2 concentrations from 1 · 1014 cm–3 – 6 · 1018 cm–3 to probe the effects on competing reaction channels of 1,2-dimethoxyethanyl (R˙) and 1,2-dimethoxyethanylperoxy (ROO˙) isomers. Several species were detected with photoionization spectral fitting – ethene, formaldehyde, methyl vinyl ether, and 2-methoxyacetaldehyde – and, as determined by electronic structure calculations, may form via unimolecular decomposition of 1,2-dimethoxyethanyl or 1,2-dimethoxyethanylperoxy. O2-dependent yield ratios show that the formation pathways for all species undergo a competition between O2-addition and unimolecular decomposition. Adiabatic ionization energies were also calculated and utilized along with exact mass determinations to infer contributions for other species derived exclusively from first- and second-O2-addition, including 1,2-dimethoxyethene, cyclic ethers, and dicarbonyls.In addition to species formed from conventional low-temperature oxidation pathways, an important conclusion is derived from the detection of species produced from an O2-addition step involving ĊH2CH2OCH3 (R˙′), which forms via prompt dissociation of the primary 1,2-dimethoxyethanyl radical (ĊH2O(CH2)2OCH3). Species derived from R˙′ + O2 – 1,3-dioxolane and methyl acetate – were detected at [O2] = 1.2 · 1017 cm–3 and formed on timescales parallel to the main R˙ + O2 reactions. In addition, ion signal at m/z 106 was detected and increased with O2 concentration from which connections are drawn to ketohydroperoxides produced by Q˙′OOH + O2. Detection of such species indicate that β-scission of 1,2-dimethoxyethanyl is sufficiently facile such that timescales of R˙′ + O2 compete with conventional R˙ + O2 pathways.
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