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Title: Radiolytic formation of the carbon dioxide radical anion in acetonitrile revealed by transient IR spectroscopy

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C8CP00977E· OSTI ID:1430880

In this study, the solvated electron in CH3CN is scavenged by CO2 with a rate constant of 3.2 × 1010 M–1 s–1 to produce the carbon dioxide radical anion (CO2•–), a strong and versatile reductant. Using pulse radiolysis with time-resolved IR detection, this radical is unambiguously identified by its absorption band at 1650 cm–1 corresponding to the antisymmetric CO2•– stretch. This assignment is confirmed by 13C isotopic labelling experiments and DFT calculations. In neat CH3CN, CO2•– decays on a ~10 μs time scale via recombination with solvent-derived radicals (R•) and solvated protons. Upon addition of formate (HCO2), the radiation yield of CO2•– is substantially increased due to H-atom abstraction by R• from HCO2 (R• + HCO2 → RH + CO2•–), which occurs in two kinetically separated steps. The rapid step involves the stronger H-abstracting CN•, CH3•, and possibly, H• primary radicals, while the slower step is due to the less reactive, but more abundant radical, CH2CN•. The removal of solvent radicals by HCO2 also results in over a hundredfold increase in the CO2•– lifetime. CO2•– scavenging experiments suggest that at 50 mM HCO2, about 60% of the solvent-derived radicals are engaged in CO2•– generation. Finally, even under CO2 saturation, no formation of the radical adduct, (CO2)2•–, could be detected on the microsecond time scale.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1430880
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1434142
Report Number(s):
BNL-203439-2018-JAAM; TRN: US1802422
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, Vol. 20, Issue 15; ISSN 1463-9076
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 30 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Figures / Tables (5)


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