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The dynamics of the formation of OH radical upon 193 nm excitation of pyruvic acid has been investigated by the laser-photolysis laser-induced-fluorescence technique. OH radicals were generated in the ground electronic state, with no vibrational excitation. The estimated rotational temperature is 720±90 K, and the translational energy is 18.7±6.5 kcal mol−1. Ab initio calculations on excited electronic states were performed at the configuration interaction with single electronic excitation level with 6-31+G(d,p) basis function. All low-lying electronic excited states (S1–S3 and T1–T6) were characterized and the transitions were identified. A transition state for the C–OH dissociation channel has been obtained from the T1 state with a late exit barrier. A mechanism for the formation of OH radicals involving internal conversion and intersystem crossing from the initially populated S3 state to T1 state and the dissociation from the T1 potential energy surface with the calculated barrier is proposed, which reproduces the observed partitioning of available energy in the fragments according to the hybrid model.

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Rate coefficients for the reaction of Cl atoms with cycloalkenes have been determined using the relative rate method, at 298 K and atmospheric pressure of N 2 . Reference molecule was n-hexane, and the concentrations of the organics were followed by gas chromatographic analysis. Cl atoms were prepared by photolysis of trichloroacetyl chloride at 254 nm. The relative rates of reactions of Cl atoms with cycloalkenes, with respect to n-hexane, are measured as 1.12 ± 0.38, 1.31 ± 0.14, and 1.69 ± 0.18 for cyclopentene, cyclohexene, and cycloheptene, respectively. Considering the absolute value of the rate coefficient of the reaction of Cl atom with n-hexane as 3.03 ± 0.06 × 10 −10 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 , the rate coefficient values for cyclopentene, cyclohexene, and cycloheptene are calculated to be (3.39 ± 1.08) × 10 −10 , (3.97 ± 0.43) × 10 −10 , and (5.12 ± 0.55) × 10 −10 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 , respectively. The experiments for each molecule were repeated six to eight times, and the slopes and the rate coefficients given above are the average values of these measurements, and the quoted error includes 2σ as well as all other uncertainties in the measurement and calculations. The rate coefficient increases linearly with the number of carbon atoms, with an increment per additional CH 2 group being (8.7 ± 1.6) × 10 −12 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 . Chloroketones and chloroalcohols, along with unsaturated ketones and alcohols, were found to be the major products of Cl-atom-initiated oxidation of cycloalkenes in the presence of air. The atmospheric implications of these results are discussed, along with a comparison with the reported structure activity relationships.

Kinetics of reaction of OH radical with morpholine, a heterocyclic molecule with both oxygen and nitrogen atoms, has been investigated using laser photolysis-laser-induced fluorescence technique, in the temperature range of 298-363 K. The rate constant at room temperature (k(298)) is (8.0 +/- 0.1) x 10(-11) molecule(-1) cm(3) s(-1). The rate constant decreases with temperature in the range studied, with the approximate dependence given by k(T) = (1.1 +/- 0.1) x 10(-11) exp[(590 +/- 20)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The rate constants are high compared with those of similar heterocyclic molecules with oxygen atom but comparable to those reported for aliphatic amines. Ab initio molecular orbital calculations show that prereactive complexes, 5-7 kcal mol(-1) lower in energy as compared with the reactants, are formed because of hydrogen bond interaction between OH and the N/O atom of morpholine. The stability of the complex involving the nitrogen atom is found to be more than that involving the oxygen atom. The optimized transition-state structures and energies for the different pathways of hydrogen abstraction from these prereactive complexes explain the observation of negative activation energy.