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The reaction between sulfur atoms in the first electronically excited state, S((1)D), and methane (CH(4)), has been investigated in a complementary fashion in (a) crossed-beam dynamics experiments with mass spectrometric detection and time-of-flight (TOF) analysis at two collision energies (30.4 and 33.6 kJ mol(-1)), (b) low temperature kinetics experiments ranging from 298 K down to 23 K, and (c) electronic structure calculations of stationary points and product energetics on the CH(4)S singlet potential energy surface. The rate coefficients for total loss of S((1)D) are found to be very large (ca. 2 × 10(-10) cm(3) molec(-1) s(-1)) down to very low temperatures indicating that the overall reaction is barrier-less. Similar measurements are also performed for S((1)D) + C(2)H(2), and also for this system the rate coefficients are found to be very large (ca. 3 × 10(-10) cm(3) molec(-1) s(-1)) down to very low temperatures. From laboratory angular and TOF distributions at different product masses for the reaction S((1)D) + CH(4), it is found that the only open reaction channel at the investigated collision energies is that leading to SH + CH(3). The product angular, T(θ), and translational energy, P(E'(T)), distributions in the center-of-mass frame are derived. The reaction dynamics are discussed in terms of two different micromechanisms: a dominant long-lived complex mechanism at small and intermediate impact parameters with a strongly polarized T(θ), and a direct pickup-type (stripping) mechanism occurring at large impact parameters with a strongly forward peaked T(θ). Interpretation of the experimental results on the S((1)D) + CH(4) reaction kinetics and dynamics is assisted by high-level theoretical calculations on the CH(4)S singlet potential energy surface. The dynamics of the SH + CH(3) forming channel are compared with those of the corresponding channel (leading to OH + CH(3)) in the related O((1)D) + CH(4) reaction, previously investigated in crossed-beams in other laboratories at comparable collision energies. The possible astrophysical relevance of S((1)D) reactions with hydrocarbons, especially in the chemistry of cometary comae, is discussed.

We report the first measurements of rate constants for the reaction in which OH radicals associate with O(2) to form HO(3). Our recent measurements (Science, 2010, 328, 1258) have shown that the HO-O(2) bond dissociation energy is only (12.3 ± 0.3) kJ mol(-1). Consequently, above ca. 90 K under attainable experimental conditions, the rate of the reverse dissociation of HO(3) becomes comparable to, and then greater than, the rate of the forward association reaction. We have used the CRESU (Cinétique de Réaction en Ecoulement Supersonique Uniforme) method to access low temperatures and have explored the kinetics of OH + O(2) + M → HO(3) + M in two series of experiments. At temperatures between 55.9 and 79.2 K, the OH radicals, created by pulsed laser photolysis of H(2)O(2) and observed by laser-induced fluorescence, decayed by pseudo-first-order kinetics to effectively zero concentration at longer times. The third-order rate constants derived from these experiments fit the expression: k(3rd)(o) (T) = (4.2 ± 1.9) × 10(-34) (T/298 K)(-(3.5 ± 0.3)) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1). At temperatures between 87.4 and 99.8 K, rate constants for the association reaction were determined allowing for the significant occurrence of the reverse dissociation reaction. The values of the derived rate constants are consistent with those obtained in the lower temperature range, though the errors are larger. The experimental values of k(3rd)(o) (T) are compared with (a) those for other association reactions involving species of similar complexity, and (b) values of k(3rd)(o) (T) estimated according to both the energy transfer (ET) and the radical-complex (RC) mechanisms. We conclude that the RC mechanism probably makes the major contribution to the association of OH + O(2) at the low temperatures of our experiments.

The chemical reaction dynamics to form o-, m-, and p-cyanophenylacetylene via the neutral-neutral reaction of ground state cyano radicals with phenylacetylene and D(1)-phenylacetylene were investigated in crossed beam experiments; these studies were combined with kinetics measurements of the rate coefficients at temperatures of 123, 200, and 298 K and supplemented by electronic structure calculations. The data suggest that the reaction is initiated by a barrier-less addition of the electrophilic cyano radical to the o-, m-, or p-position of the aromatic ring. The eventually fragmented via atomic hydrogen elimination to form o-, m-, and p-cyanophenylacetylene via tight exit transition states with the hydrogen atom being ejected almost perpendicularly to the molecular plane of the rotating complex. The overall reaction to form o-, m-, and p-cyanophenylacetylene was found to be exoergic by 89 +/- 18 kJ mol(-1) in nice agreement with the calculations. The o-cyanophenylacetylene isomer is of particular relevance as a potential building block to the formation of nitrogen-substituted didehydronaphthalene molecules in analogy to didehydronaphthalene in Titan's aerosol layers--a pathway hitherto neglected by the planetary science modeling community.

The kinetics of the reactions of the linear butadiynyl radical, C4H (CCCCH), with methane, ethane, propane and butane have been studied over the temperature range of 39-300 K using a CRESU (Cinétique de Réaction en Ecoulement Supersonique Uniforme or Reaction Kinetics in Uniform Supersonic Flow) apparatus combined with the pulsed laser photolysis-laser induced fluorescence technique. The rate coefficients, except for the reaction with methane, show a negative temperature dependence and can be fitted with the following expressions over the temperature range of this study: k(C2H6) = 0.289 x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-1.23) exp(-24.8 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(C3H8) = 1.06 x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-1.36) exp(-56.9 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(C4H10) = 2.93 x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-1.30) exp(-90.1 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). The rate coefficients for the reaction with methane were measured only at 200 K and 300 K yielding a positive temperature dependence: k(CH4) = 1.63 x 10(-11) exp(-610 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). Possible reaction mechanisms and product channels are discussed in detail for each of these reactions. Potential implications of these results for models of low temperature chemical environments, in particular cold interstellar clouds and planetary atmospheres such as that of Titan, are considered.

The kinetics of the reactions of the linear butadiynyl radical, C4H (CCCCH), with a variety of unsaturated hydrocarbons have been studied over the temperature range of 39-300 K using a CRESU (Cinétique de Réaction en Ecoulement Supersonique Uniforme, or reaction kinetics in uniform supersonic flow) apparatus combined with the pulsed laser photolysis-laser induced fluorescence technique. The rate coefficients for all the reactions studied are found to all be in excess of 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) over the entire temperature range. They can be fitted with the following expressions (valid from 39 K to 300 K, with RMS deviations of the experimental points from the predicted values shown, to which should be added 10% possible systematic error) for reaction of C4H with alkenes: k(C2H4) = (1.95 +/- 0.17) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-0.40) exp(9.4 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(C3H6) = (3.25 +/- 0.12) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-0.84) exp(-48.9 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(1-C4H8) = (6.30 +/- 0.35) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-0.61) exp(-65.0 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), for reaction of C4H with dienes: k(C3H4) = (3.70 +/- 0.34) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-1.18) exp(-91.1 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(1,3-C4H6) = (5.37 +/- 0.30) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-1.25) exp(-116.8 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), and for reaction of C4H with alkynes: k(C2H2) = (1.82 +/- 0.19) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-1.06) exp(-65.9 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(C3H4) = (3.20 +/- 0.08) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-0.82) exp(-47.5 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1); k(1-C4H6) = (3.48 +/- 0.14) x 10(-10) (T/298 K)(-0.65) exp(-58.4 K/T) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). Possible reaction mechanisms and product channels are discussed in detail for each of these reactions. Potential implications of these results for models of low temperature chemical environments, in particular cold interstellar clouds and star-forming regions, are considered.