HOT ATOM REACTIONS AND RADIATION-INDUCED EFFECTS IN THE REACTIONS OF RECOIL TRITIUM WITH CYCLOPROPANE

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1960 · Canadian Journal of Chemistry (Canada)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1139/v60-241· OSTI ID:4122713

Lee, J K; Musgrave, B; Rowland, F S

Recoil He/sup 3/(n,p) tritium atoms were reacted with cyclopropane in the gas phase under a variety of experimental conditions. The labeled hydrocarbon and molecular hydrogen products were separated by gas chromatography and assayed by gas proportional counting. The observed products showed a strong dependence upon irradiation dose. Cyclopropane was very inert toward reactions with hydrogen atoms and organic radicals, and the labeled olefiric products reacted preferentially, in effect as scavengers, with the reactive species from radiolysis of the parert molecule. Energetic tritium atoms were able to react with cyclopropane to give labeled cyclopropane as a product without causing isomerization or decomposition of the molecule. The relative yields of cyclopropane and propylene were dependert upon the average collisional deexcitation times, indicating that a fraction of the labeled cyclopropane molecules decompose in times of approximately l0/sup -9/ seconds. Cyclopropane, propylene, ethylene, hydrogen, and small amourts of allene and methylacetylene were observed as "hot" products in the presence of gaseeus free radical scavengers. Many additional compounds were found as the result of free radical and/or radiolysis reactions in the absence of scavengers. The "hot" reactions are explained in terms of the single-step interactions of high kinetic energy tritium atoms with the cyclopropane molecules. The energy for endothermic and high activation energy processes was obtained from the recoil energy. The kinetic energy of the recoil atom at reaction was estimated to be of the order of 130 kcal/mole for some of the observed labeled compounds. (auth)

• Research Organization: Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-15-001427
• OSTI ID: 4122713
• Journal Information: Canadian Journal of Chemistry (Canada), Journal Name: Canadian Journal of Chemistry (Canada) Vol. Vol: 38; ISSN CJCHA
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CHEMISTRY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COLLISIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ETHYLENE
EXCITATION
FREE RADICALS
PROPANE
PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS
PROPYLENE
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RECOILS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM