Electron attachment to C2 fluorocarbon radicals at high temperature

Abstract

Thermal electron attachment to the radical species C2F3 and C2F5 has been studied over the temperature range 300-890 K using the Variable Electron and Neutral Density Attachment Mass Spectrometry technique. Both radicals exclusively undergo dissociative attachment to yield F(-). The rate constant for C2F5 shows little dependence over the temperature range, remaining ~4 × 10(-9) cm(3) s(-1). The rate constant for C2F3 attachment rises steeply with temperature from 3 × 10(-11) cm(3) s(-1) at 300 K to 1 × 10(-9) cm(3) s(-1) at 890 K. The behaviors of both species at high temperature are in agreement with extrapolations previously made from data below 600 K using a recently developed kinetic modeling approach. Measurements were also made on C2F3Br and C2F5Br (used in this work as precursors to the radicals) over the same temperature range, and, for C2F5Br as a function of electron temperature. The attachment rate constants to both species rise with temperature following Arrhenius behavior. The attachment rate constant to C2F5Br falls with increasing electron temperature, in agreement with the kinetic modeling. The current data fall in line with past predictions of the kinetic modeling approach, again showing the utility of this simplified approach.