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The thermal dissociation reactions of C2F4 and C2F6 were studied in shock waves over the temperature range 1000-4000 K using UV absorption spectroscopy. Absorption cross sections of C2F4, CF2, CF, and C2 were derived and related to quantum-chemically modeled oscillator strengths. After confirming earlier results for the dissociation rates of C2F4, CF3, and CF2, the kinetics of secondary reactions were investigated. For example, the reaction CF2 + CF2 → CF + CF3 was identified. Its rate constant of 1010 cm3 mol-1 s-1 near 2400 K is markedly larger than the limiting high-pressure rate constant of the dimerization CF2 + CF2 → C2F4, suggesting that the reaction follows a different path. When the measurements of the thermal dissociation CF2 (+Ar) → CF + F (+Ar) are extended to temperatures above 2500 K, the formation of C2 radicals was shown to involve the reaction CF + CF → C2F + F (modeled rate constant 8.0 × 1012 (T/3500 K)1.0 exp(-4400 K/T) cm3 mol-1 s-1) and the subsequent dissociation C2F (+Ar) → C2 + F + (Ar) (modeled limiting low-pressure rate constant 3.0 × 1016 (T/3500 K)-4.0 exp(-56880 K/T) cm3 mol-1 s-1). This mechanism was validated by monitoring the dissociation of C2 at temperatures close to 4000 K. Temperature- and pressure-dependences of rate constants of reactions involved in the system were modeled by quantum-chemistry based rate theory.

The reactions of anionic metal clusters Mn– with O2 (M = V (n = 1–15), Cr (n = 1–15), Co (n = 1–12), and Ni (n = 1–14)) are investigated from 300 to 600 K using a selected-ion flow tube. All rate c...

The thermal dissociation of Si(CH3)2F2 was studied in shock waves between 1400 and 1900 K. UV absorption-time profiles of its dissociation products SiF2 and CH3 were monitored. The reaction proceeds as a unimolecular process not far from the high-pressure limit. Comparing modelled and experimental results, an asymmetric representation of the falloff curves was shown to be most realistic. Modelled limiting high-pressure rate constants agreed well with the experimental data. The UV absorption spectrum of SiF2 was shown to be quasi-continuous, with a maximum near 222 nm and a wavelength-integrated absorption cross section of 4.3 (±1) × 10−23 cm3 (between 195 and 255 nm, base e), the latter being consistent with radiative lifetimes from the literature. Experiments over the range 1900–3200 K showed that SiF2 was not consumed by a simple bond fission SiF2 →SiF + F, but by a bimolecular reaction SiF2 + SiF2 → SiF + SiF3 (rate constant in the range 1011–1012 cm3 mol−1 s−1), followed by the unimolecular dissociation SiF3 → SiF2 + F such that the reaction becomes catalyzed by the reactant SiF2. The analogy to a pathway CF2 + CF2 → CF + CF3, followed by CF3 → CF2 + F, in high-temperature fluorocarbon chemistry is stressed. Besides the high-temperature absorption cross sections of SiF2, analogous data for SiF are also reported.

The thermal dissociation of C2F5I was studied in shock waves monitoring UV absorption signals from the reactant C2F5I and later formed reaction products such as CF, CF2, and C2F4. Temperatures of 950–1500 K, bath gas concentrations of [Ar] = 3 × 10−5–2 × 10−4 mol cm−3, and reactant concentrations of 100–500 ppm C2F5I in Ar were employed. Absorption-time profiles were recorded at selected wavelengths in the range 200–280 nm. It was found that the dissociation of C2F5I → C2F5 + I was followed by the dissociation C2F5 → CF2 + CF3, before the dimerization reactions 2CF2 → C2F4 and 2CF3 → C2F6 and a reaction CF2 + CF3 → CF + CF4 set in. The combination of iodine atoms with C2F5 and CF3 had also to be considered. The rate constant of the primary dissociation of C2F5I was analyzed in the framework of statistical unimolecular rate theory accompanied by a quantum-chemical characterization of molecular parameters. Rates of secondary reactions were modelled as well. Experimental rate constants for the dissociations of C2F5I and C2F5 agreed well with the modelling results. The comparably slow dimerization 2CF2 → C2F4 could be followed both by monitoring reactant CF2 and product C2F4 absorption signals, while CF3 dimerization was too fast to be detected. A competition between the dimerization reactions of CF2 and CF3, the recombination of CF2 and CF3 forming C2F5, and CF-forming processes like CF2 + CF3 → CF + CF4 finally was discussed.

The reaction N + OH → NO + H involves the intermediate formation of NOH adducts which in part rearrange to HNO conformers. A statistical treatment of the process is developed in which an initial adiabatic channel capture of the reactants is accompanied by partial primary redissociation of the N⋯OH collision pairs. A criterion for the extent of this primary redissociation in competition to the formation of randomized, long-lived, complex of NOH is proposed. The NOH adducts then may decompose to NO + H, rearrange in a unimolecular process to HNO, or undergo secondary redissociation back to the reactants N + OH, while HNO may also decompose to NO + H. As the reactants N(4S) + OH(2Π) have open electronic shells, non-Born–Oppenheimer effects have to be considered. Their influence on thermal rate constants of the reaction at low temperatures is illustrated and compared with such effects in other reactions such as C(3P) + OH(2Π).

The thermal dissociation of C2F5I was studied in shock waves monitoring UV absorption signals from the reactant C2F5I and later formed reaction products such as CF, CF2, and C2F4. Temperatures of 950-1500 K, bath gas concentrations of [Ar] = 3 × 10-5-2 × 10-4 mol cm-3, and reactant concentrations of 100-500 ppm C2F5I in Ar were employed. Absorption-time profiles were recorded at selected wavelengths in the range 200-280 nm. It was found that the dissociation of C2F5I → C2F5 + I was followed by the dissociation C2F5 → CF2 + CF3, before the dimerization reactions 2CF2 → C2F4 and 2CF3 → C2F6 and a reaction CF2 + CF3 → CF + CF4 set in. The combination of iodine atoms with C2F5 and CF3 had also to be considered. The rate constant of the primary dissociation of C2F5I was analyzed in the framework of statistical unimolecular rate theory accompanied by a quantum-chemical characterization of molecular parameters. Rates of secondary reactions were modelled as well. Experimental rate constants for the dissociations of C2F5I and C2F5 agreed well with the modelling results. The comparably slow dimerization 2CF2 → C2F4 could be followed both by monitoring reactant CF2 and product C2F4 absorption signals, while CF3 dimerization was too fast to be detected. A competition between the dimerization reactions of CF2 and CF3, the recombination of CF2 and CF3 forming C2F5, and CF-forming processes like CF2 + CF3 → CF + CF4 finally was discussed.

This article, the seventh in the series, presents kinetic and photochemical data sheets evaluated by the IUPAC Task Group on Atmospheric Chemical Kinetic Data Evaluation. It covers an extension of the gas-phase and photochemical reactions related to Criegee intermediates previously published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) in 2006 and implemented on the IUPAC website up to 2020. The article consists of an introduction, description of laboratory measurements, a discussion of rate coefficients for reactions of O3 with alkenes producing Criegee intermediates, rate coefficients of unimolecular and bimolecular reactions and photochemical data for reactions of Criegee intermediates, and an overview of the atmospheric chemistry of Criegee intermediates. Summary tables of the recommended kinetic and mechanistic parameters for the evaluated reactions are provided. Data sheets summarizing information upon which the recommendations are based are given in two files, provided as a Supplement to this article.

The reaction of CF2 with H2 was studied in shock waves by monitoring UV absorption signals. CF2 was prepared by thermal dissociation of C2F4 (or of c-C3F6). The rate constant of the reaction CF2 + H2 → CHF + HF near 2000 K was found to be close to 1011 cm3 mol-1 s-1, consistent with earlier information on the reverse reaction CHF + HF → CF2 + H2 and a modeled equilibrium constant. The kinetic studies were accompanied by spectroscopic investigations. Absorption cross sections of C2F4 between 190 and 220 nm were measured near 1000 K and compared with room temperature values from the literature. Likewise, absorption cross sections of CF2 near 2000 K were measured between 210 and 300 nm and compared with room temperature data. Additional, superimposed, absorption signals were recorded during the reaction and identified by their time-dependence and by quantum-chemical calculations employing time-dependent density functional theory. A previously unknown absorption spectrum of CHF radicals near 200 nm was identi...

The unimolecular dissociation of CH2F2 leading to CF2 + H2, CHF + HF, or CHF2 + H is investigated by quantum-chemical calculations and unimolecular rate theory. Modeling of the rate constants is accompanied by shock wave experiments over the range of 1400–1800 K, monitoring the formation of CF2. It is shown that the energetically most favorable dissociation channel leading to CF2 + H2 has a higher threshold energy than the energetically less favorable one leading to CHF + HF. Falloff curves of the dissociations are modeled. Under the conditions of the described experiments, the primary dissociation CH2F2 → CHF + HF is followed by the reaction CHF + HF → CF2 + H2. The experimental value of the rate constant for the latter reaction indicates that it does not proceed by an addition–elimination process involving CH2F2* intermediates, as assumed before.

The thermal dissociation reaction CF

The thermal dissociation reaction CF3 (+ Ar) → CF2 + F (+ Ar) was studied in incident and reflected shock waves by monitoring UV absorption signals of the primary dissociation product CF2. CF3 radicals were produced by thermal decomposition of CF3I. Accounting for secondary reactions of F atoms, rate constants for the unimolecular dissociation were derived. Experimental parts of the falloff curves were obtained over the ranges 1544 - 2106 K and 1.0×〖10〗^(-5)≤["Ar" ]≤9.3×〖10〗^(-5 ) "mol " 〖"cm" 〗^"-3" . Theoretical modelling allowed for a construction of the full falloff curves connecting the limiting low pressure rate constants k_0=["Ar" ] 2.5×〖10〗^18 (T⁄(2000 "K" ))^(-5.1) " exp" ((-42450 "K" )⁄T) 〖"cm" 〗^"3" 〖"mol" 〗^(-1) "s" ^(-1) with the limiting high pressure rate constants k_∞= 1.6×〖10〗^16 (T⁄(2000 "K" ))^(-1.3) "exp" ((-43250 "K" )⁄T) "s" ^(-1) (center broadening factors of F_cent= 0.25, 0.22, and 0.20 at 1500, 2000, and 2500 K, respectively, were used). The influence of simplifications of falloff expressions and of limiting rate constants on the representation of experimental data is discussed.

The falloff curves of the unimolecular dissociation CF3I (+Ar) - CF3 + I (+Ar) are modelled by combining quantum-chemical characterizations of the potential energy surface for the reaction, standard unimolecular rate theory, and experimental information on the average energy transferred per collision between excited CF3I and Ar. The (essentially) parameter-free theoretical modelling gives results in satisfactory agreement with data deduced from earlier shock wave experiments employing a variety of reactant concentrations (between a few ppm and a few percent in the bath gas Ar). New experiments recording absorption–time signals of CF3I, I2, CF2 and (possibly) IF at 450–500 and 200–300 nm are reported. By analysing the decomposition mechanism, besides the unimolecular dissociation of CF3I, these provide insight into the influence of secondary reactions on the experimental observations. Fil: Cobos, Carlos Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas; Argentina Fil: Sölter, L.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania Fil: Tellbach, E.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania Fil: Troe, J.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania. Institut Max Planck fuer Bioanorganische Chemie; Alemania

The falloff curves of the unimolecular dissociation CF

The thermal decomposition of perfluorotriethylamine, (C2F5)3N, was investigated in shock waves by monitoring the formation of CF2. Experiments were performed over the temperature range of 1120-1450 K with reactant concentrations between 100 and 1000 ppm of (C2F5)3N in the bath gas Ar and with [Ar] in the range of (0.7-5.5) × 10-5 mol cm-3. The experiments were accompanied by quantum-chemical calculations of the energies of various dissociation paths and by rate calculations, in particular for the dissociation of C2F5via C2F5 → CF3 + CF2. The overall reaction can proceed in different ways, either by a sequence of successive C-N bond ruptures followed by fast C2F5 decompositions, or by a sequence of alternating C-C and C-N bond ruptures. A cross-over between the two pathways can also take place. At temperatures below about 1300 K, yields of less than one CF2 per (C2F5)3N decomposed were observed. On the other hand, at temperatures around 2000 K, when besides the parent molecule, CF3 also dissociates, yields of six CF2 per (C2F5)3N decomposed were measured. The rate-delaying steps of the dissociation mechanism at intermediate temperatures were suggested to be the processes (C2F5)NCF2 → (C2F5)N + CF2 and (CF2)N → N + CF2. The reduction of the CF2 yields at low temperatures was tentatively attributed to a branching of the mechanism at the level of (C2F5)2NCF2, from where the cyclic final product perfluoro-N-methylpyrrolidine, (C4F8)NCF3, is formed which was identified in earlier work from the literature.

The thermal decomposition of perfluorotriethylamine, (C2F5)3N, was investigated in shock waves by monitoring the formation of CF2. Experiments were performed over the temperature range of 1120-1450 K with reactant concentrations between 100 and 1000 ppm of (C2F5)3N in the bath gas Ar and with [Ar] in the range of (0.7-5.5) × 10-5 mol cm-3. The experiments were accompanied by quantum-chemical calculations of the energies of various dissociation paths and by rate calculations, in particular for the dissociation of C2F5via C2F5 → CF3 + CF2. The overall reaction can proceed in different ways, either by a sequence of successive C-N bond ruptures followed by fast C2F5 decompositions, or by a sequence of alternating C-C and C-N bond ruptures. A cross-over between the two pathways can also take place. At temperatures below about 1300 K, yields of less than one CF2 per (C2F5)3N decomposed were observed. On the other hand, at temperatures around 2000 K, when besides the parent molecule, CF3 also dissociates, yields of six CF2 per (C2F5)3N decomposed were measured. The rate-delaying steps of the dissociation mechanism at intermediate temperatures were suggested to be the processes (C2F5)NCF2 → (C2F5)N + CF2 and (CF2)N → N + CF2. The reduction of the CF2 yields at low temperatures was tentatively attributed to a branching of the mechanism at the level of (C2F5)2NCF2, from where the cyclic final product perfluoro-N-methylpyrrolidine, (C4F8)NCF3, is formed which was identified in earlier work from the literature., Universidad Nacional de La Plata

The role of collisional energy transfer in ion-molecule association reactions is analyzed. Rate constants for the formation of adducts between HCl and NO3−(HNO3)x (H2SO4)y or HSO4−(HNO3)x (H2SO4)y (with x = 0–2 and y = 0–2) in the buffer gases H2, He, and N2 and at temperatures between 150 and 300 K are considered. Quantum-chemical calculations of molecular parameters and statistical unimolecular rate theory are combined to model low-pressure rate constants whereas ion-molecule capture theory provides high-pressure rate constants. The comparison with experimental results indicates that energy transfer is dominated by overall collision numbers while weak-collision effects are only of minor importance. On the other hand, often neglected falloff effects between termolecular and bimolecular reaction behavior have to be taken into account.

The thermal decomposition of hexafluoropropylene oxide, C3F6O, to perfluoroacetyl fluoride, CF3COF, and CF2 has been studied in shock waves highly diluted in Ar between 630 and 1000 K. The measured rate constant k1 = 1.1 × 1014exp(-162(±4) kJ mol-1/RT) s-1 agrees well with literature data and modelling results. Using the reaction as a precursor, equimolar mixtures of CF3COF and CF2 were further heated. Combining experimental observations with theoretical modelling (on the CBS-QB3 and G4MP2 ab initio composite levels), CF3COF is shown to dissociate on two channels, either leading to CF2 + COF2 or to CF3 + FCO. By monitoring the CF2 signals, the branching ratio was determined between 1400 and 1900 K. The high pressure rate constants for the two channels were obtained from theoretical modelling as k5,∞(CF3COF → CF2 + COF2) = 7.1 × 1014exp(-320 kJ mol-1/RT) s-1 and k6,∞(CF3COF → CF3 + FCO) = 3.9 × 1015exp(-355 kJ mol-1/RT) s-1. The experimental results obtained at [Ar] ≈ 5 × 10-6 mol cm-3 were consistent with modelling results, showing that the reaction is in the falloff range of the unimolecular dissociation. The mechanism of secondary reactions following CF3COF dissociation has been analysed as well. Fil: Cobos, Carlos Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas; Argentina Fil: Hintzer, K.. Dyneon GmbH; Alemania Fil: Sölter, L.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania Fil: Tellbach, E.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania Fil: Thaler, A.. Dyneon GmbH; Alemania Fil: Troe, J.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania. Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie; Alemania

Limiting high pressure rate constants for the association of H with C6H5+ and of CH3, C2H5, and n-C3H7 radicals with C7H7+ molecular ions are analyzed in terms of “rigidity factors” arising from the anisotropy of the interaction potentials and “collision rate constants” in the absence of anisotropy (the latter corresponding to phase space theory, PST). Model calculations based on ab initio potential energy surfaces show that the PST rate constants kPST(T) exceed collision rate constants from conventional ion-molecule capture theory (in this case given by Langevin rate constants kL). They can be represented by kPST(T) = kL + kh.sph. where kh.sph. denotes hard-sphere collision numbers with collision radii r0. The r0 derived from the modelled kPST(T) are related to properties of the interaction potentials. Applications to other ion-molecule reactions are proposed.

In this paper, the electronically nonadiabatic Landau-Zener (LZ) mechanism for the vibrational relaxation v = 1 → v = 0 of NO(X2Π) in collisions with Ar(S01) is discussed. It corresponds to nonadiabatic transitions between two crossing vibronic potential energy surfaces (PESs) originating from vibrational states of the collision complex and supported by two coupled electronic PESs. The LZ rate coefficients k10LZ are calculated within the uniform Airy approach in the reaction coordinate approximation with parameters derived from ab initio PESs and an asymptotic estimation of the Franck-Condon factor in the nonadiabatic coupling region. The rate coefficients are close to the experimental rate coefficients available over the range of 900-2500 K, where the electronically adiabatic Landau-Teller (LT) mechanism with the rate coefficients k10LT does not make a noticeable contribution to the total relaxation rate. The ratio k10LZ/k10LT increases with temperature and the LZ and LT mechanisms have comparable rates at about 4000 K.

The temperature and pressure dependence of partial and total rate constants of complex-forming bimolecular reactions are investigated with the goal to obtain simplified and compact rate constant expressions suitable for data compilations. The transition of the reactions from low pressure chemical activation to high pressure association character is analyzed. The two processes are modeled separately first by solving master equations, leading to "inverse" and "normal" falloff curves, respectively, and allowing for a compact representation of the separated rate constants. It is shown that broadening factors of the two falloff curves are different, and those of chemical activation often approaching unity. Coupling of the two separate processes then is modeled in a simplified manner. Finally, thermal redissociation of the adducts formed by association is accounted for.

Experimental data for the unimolecular decomposition of CS2 from the literature are analyzed by unimolecular rate theory with the goal of obtaining rate constants for the reverse reaction S + CS (+M) → CS2 (+M) over wide temperature and pressure ranges. The results constitute an important input for the kinetic modeling of CS2 oxidation. CS2 dissociation proceeds as a spin-forbidden process whose detailed properties are still not well understood. The role of the singlet-triplet transition involved is discussed.

The thermal unimolecular dissociation of CH3F was studied in shock waves by monitoring the UV absorption of a dissociation product identified as CH2F. It is concluded that, under conditions applied, the formation of this species corresponds to a minor, spin-allowed, dissociation channel of about 3% yield. Near to the low-pressure limit of the reaction, on the other hand, the energetically more favourable dissociation leads to 3CH2 + HF on a dominant, spin-forbidden, pathway. By considering the multichannel character of the reaction, it is shown that, in contrast to the low-pressure range, the high-pressure range of the reaction should be dominated by CH2F formation. The channel-switching probably takes place at pressures higher than those applied in the present work. In addition to the two dissociation channels of CH3F producing 3CH2 + HF and CH2F + H, a third, spin-allowed, dissociation channel leading to 1CHF + H2 was also considered and estimated to proceed with a yield smaller than 0.5%. Besides the dissociation of CH3F, the dissociation of CH2F was studied by monitoring the UV spectrum of CH2F. Details of this spectrum were investigated. Similar to CH3F, the dissociation of CH2F can proceed on several dissociation channels, under the present conditions either to CHF + H or to CF + H2. After modelling single-channel falloff curves for all reaction pathways, coupling effects of multichannel dissociations were interpreted in the framework of multichannel unimolecular rate theory.

The thermal unimolecular dissociation of CH

The thermal dissociation of CH2F2 and the reaction of CF2 with H2 was studied in shock waves over the temperature range 1800–2200 K, monitoring the absorption–time profiles at 248 nm. Besides contributions from CF2, the signals showed strong absorptions from secondary reaction products, probably mostly CH2F formed by the reaction CHF + H2 → CH2F + H. Rate constants of a series of possible secondary reactions were modeled, including falloff curves for the thermal dissociations of CHF, CHF2, and CH2F and rate constants of the reactions CHF + CH2F2 → CHF2 + CH2F, CHF + H2 → CH2F + H, H + CH2F2 → CHF2 + H2, H + CF2 → CF + HF, and H + CF → C + HF. On this basis, concentration–time profiles were simulated and compared with experimental absorption–time profiles.

The reaction of CF

The unimolecular dissociation of CH

The thermal decomposition of octafluorooxalane, C4F8O, to C2F4 + CF2 + COF2 has been studied in shock waves highly diluted in Ar between 1300 and 2200 K. The primary dissociation was shown to be followed by secondary dissociation of C2F4 and dimerization of CF2. The primary dissociation was found to be in its falloff range and falloff curves were constructed. The limiting low and high pressure rate constants were estimated and compared with modelling results. Quantum-chemical calculations identified possible reaction pathways, either leading directly to the final products of the reaction or passing through an open-chain CF2CF2CF2 intermediate which dissociates in a second step. Fil: Cobos, Carlos Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas; Argentina Fil: Hintzer, K.. Dyneon GmbH; Alemania Fil: Sölter, L.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania Fil: Tellbach, E.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania Fil: Thaler, A.. Dyneon GmbH; Alemania Fil: Troe, J.. Universität Göttingen; Alemania. Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie; Alemania

The thermal decomposition of octafluorooxalane, C

The reaction C2H5 + O-2 (+ M) --> C2H5O2 (+ M) was studied at 298 K at pressures of the bath gas M = Ar between 100 and 1000 bar. The transition from the falloff curve of an energy transfer mechanism to a high pressure range with contributions from the radical complex mechanism was observed. Further experiments were done between 188 and 298 K in the bath gas M = He at pressures in the range 0.7-2.0 Torr. The available data are analyzed in terms of unimolecular rate theory. An improved analytical representation of the temperature and pressure dependence of the rate constant is given for conditions where the chemical activation process C2H5 + O-2 (+ M) --> C2H4 + HO2 (+ M) is only of minor importance.

Tunneling corrections to Landau-Zener rate coefficients for the vibrational relaxation NO(X(2)Π, v = 1) + Ar → NO(X(2)Π, v = 0) + Ar between 300 and 2000 K are determined employing ab initio potential energy surfaces calculated by the code provided by Alexander [J. Chem. Phys. 111, 7426 (1999)]. The calculations use a reaction coordinate approach and lead to vibronically nonadiabatic transition probabilities within the generalized Airy approximation as extended to the WKB underbarrier Landau-Lifshitz limit. The calculations confirm experimental evidence for an onset of major tunneling contributions to the relaxation rate at temperatures below about 900 K and rationalize large tunneling contributions at 300 K. These effects increase the rate coefficients by several orders of magnitude over the uncorrected Landau-Zener values and remove the large gap between the latter and experimental results.

The thermal dissociation of octafluorocyclobutane, c-C4F8, was studied in shock waves over the range 1150-2300 K by recording UV absorption signals of CF2. It was found that the primary reaction nearly exclusively produces 2 C2F4 which afterwards decomposes to 4 CF2. A primary reaction leading to CF2 + C3F6 is not detected (an upper limit to the yield of the latter channel was found to be about 10 percent). The temperature range of earlier single pulse shock wave experiments was extended. The reaction was shown to be close to its high pressure limit. Combining high and low temperature results leads to a rate constant for the primary dissociation of k1 = 1015.97 exp(-310.5 kJ mol-1/RT) s-1 in the range 630-1330 K, over which k1 varies over nearly 14 orders of magnitude. Calculations of the energetics of the reaction pathway and the rate constants support the conclusions from the experiments. Also they shed light on the role of the 1,4-biradical CF2CF2CF2CF2 as an intermediate of the reaction., Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas

Rate coefficients for capture of H-2(j = 0,1) by H-2(+) are calculated in perturbed rotor approximation, i.e., at collision energies considerably lower than Bhc (where B denotes the rotational constant of H2). The results are compared with the results from an axially nonadiabatic channel (ANC) approach, the latter providing a very good approximation from the low-temperature Bethe-Wigner to the high temperature Langevin limit. The classical ANC approximation performs satisfactorily at temperatures above 0.1 K. At 0.1 K, the rate coefficient for j = 1 is about 25% higher than that for j = 0 while the latter is close to the Langevin rate coefficient. The Bethe-Wigner limit of the rate coefficient for j = 1 is about twice that for j = 0. The analysis of the relocking of the intrinsic angular momentum of H-2 during the course of the collision illustrates the significance of relocking in capture dynamics in general.