Photochemical production of peroxy radicals and their interaction with aromatic alcohols

Abstract

The reaction between 1-phenylethyl peroxy radicals and 1-phenyl ethanol, benzyl alcohol and cumyl alcohol has been studied at T = 55°C. The rate coefficients of the hydrogen abstraction reactions for the three alcohols are 18.7 f 2.7, 17.8 f 1.9 and 4.8 f 0.5 M-' s-', respectively. In the case of 1-phenyl ethanol experiments were carried out at T = 25 and 40°C as well, resulting in rate coefficients of 7.3 f 0.7 and 10.5 f 0.9 M-' s-', while the energy of activation -taking into consideration also the data of Hajdu et al. -was 27.7 0.5 kJ mol-I.