Reactions of hydrogen atoms with hexafluoroacetone

Abstract

Attempts were made to study the kinetics of the reaction of atomic H with (CF3)2CO vapour (HFA). Atomic H was generated from H2 by mercury photosensitization in the presence of C2H4 and HFA but the system was complicated by the loss of C2H5 radicals by addition to HFA and the kinetic results were intractable. When atomic H was generated from C3H8, the kinetics again were obscured by some unidentified reaction(s) which became more important at higher [HFA]/[C3H8]. An estimate of the rate constant for the addition of H to HFA obtained at low [HFA]/[C3H8] yielded k9 = 8.5 × 105 l mol−1 s−1. Trifluoroacetaldehyde was identified with some reliability but many of the other heavier products formed in the H2 + HFA reaction could not be identified. Quenching cross-sections were determined for C2H4, C3H8, C4H10, and HFA relative to that for N2O.