skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: The thermal decomposition of the benzyl radical in a heated micro-reactor. II. Pyrolysis of the tropyl radical

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954895· OSTI ID:1271940
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215, USA; National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden Colorado 80401, USA
  2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215, USA
  3. Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
  4. National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden Colorado 80401, USA
  5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Combustion and Environmental Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0427, USA

Cycloheptatrienyl (tropyl) radical, C7H7, was cleanly produced in the gas-phase, entrained in He or Ne carrier gas, and subjected to a set of flash-pyrolysis micro-reactors. The pyrolysis products resulting from C7H7 were detected and identified by vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry. Complementary product identification was provided by infrared absorption spectroscopy. Pyrolysis pressures in the micro-reactor were roughly 200 Torr and residence times were approximately 100 us. Thermal cracking of tropyl radical begins at 1100 K and the products from pyrolysis of C7H7 are only acetylene and cyclopentadienyl radicals. Tropyl radicals do not isomerize to benzyl radicals at reactor temperatures up to 1600 K. Heating samples of either cycloheptatriene or norbornadiene never produced tropyl (C7H7) radicals but rather only benzyl (C6H5CH2). The thermal decomposition of benzyl radicals has been reconsidered without participation of tropyl radicals. There are at least three distinct pathways for pyrolysis of benzyl radical: the Benson fragmentation, the methyl-phenyl radical, and the bridgehead norbornadienyl radical. These three pathways account for the majority of the products detected following pyrolysis of all of the isotopomers: C6H5CH2, C6H5CD2, C6D5CH2, and C6H5 13CH2. Analysis of the temperature dependence for the pyrolysis of the isotopic species (C6H5CD2, C6D5CH2, and C6H5 13CH2) suggests the Benson fragmentation and the norbornadienyl pathways open at reactor temperatures of 1300 K while the methyl-phenyl radical channel becomes active at slightly higher temperatures (1500 K).

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1271940
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5100-66666
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 145, Issue 1; ISSN 0021-9606
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (77)

Generation and IR spectroscopic study of benzyl radical journal August 1993
Conversion of C5 into C6 Cyclic Species through the Formation of C7 Intermediates journal May 2007
Unimolecular isomerization/decomposition of cyclopentadienyl and related bimolecular reverse process:ab initio MO/statistical theory study journal April 2000
The properties of a micro-reactor for the study of the unimolecular decomposition of large molecules journal September 2014
Excited electronic states of the tropyl (cyclo‐C 7 H 7 ) radical journal November 1991
Photoionization of the Cycloheptatrienyl Radical journal January 1969
Unimolecular thermal decomposition of phenol and d 5 -phenol: Direct observation of cyclopentadiene formation via cyclohexadienone journal January 2012
Polarized Matrix Infrared Spectra of Cyclopentadienone: Observations, Calculations, and Assignment for an Important Intermediate in Combustion and Biomass Pyrolysis journal January 2014
Helium Nanodroplet Infrared Spectroscopy of the Tropyl Radical conference June 2015
Infrared Spectroscopy of Neutral C 7 H 7 Isomers:  Benzyl and Tropyl journal December 2003
Unimolecular thermal fragmentation of ortho -benzyne journal January 2007
Diradicals, antiaromaticity, and the pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect: Electronic and rovibronic structures of the cyclopentadienyl cation journal July 2007
Thermal Decomposition of Ethylbenzene in Shock Waves journal November 1983
H- and D-atom formation from the pyrolysis of C6H5CH2Br and C6H5CD2Br: Implications for high-temperature benzyl decomposition journal January 2011
An excited state of acetylene: Photochemical and spectroscopic evidence journal July 1980
A study of the singlet and triplet states of vinylidene by photoelectron spectroscopy of H 2 C=C , D 2 C=C , and HDC=C . Vinylidene–acetylene isomerization journal November 1989
Photoelectron spectrum of o-benzyne. Ionization potentials as a measure of singlet-triplet gaps journal April 1992
Experimental and kinetic modeling study of the oxidation of n-propylbenzene journal January 2002
Detection and investigation of allyl and benzyl radicals by photoelectron spectroscopy journal May 1978
Gas-Phase Electronic Spectrum of the Tropyl C 7 H 7 Radical journal October 2002
Bond Dissociation Energies of Organic Molecules journal April 2003
Formation of hydrogen atoms in pyrolysis of ethylbenzene behind shock waves. Rate constants for the thermal dissociation of the benzyl radical journal January 1988
Toluene and benzyl decomposition mechanisms: elementary reactions and kinetic simulations journal January 2011
Spectre infrarouge et attribution des vibrations des toluènes C6H5CH8, C6H5CD8 et C6D5CD3 journal January 1960
Oxidation, ignition and combustion of toluene: Experimental and detailed chemical kinetic modelingElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Arrhenius parameters for reactions. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cp/b1/b110282f/ journal April 2002
Study of higher hydrocarbon production during ethylacetylene pyrolysis using laser-generated vacuum-ultraviolet photoionization detection journal April 1990
Threshold photoelectron spectrum of the benzyl radical journal May 2014
Absolute photoionization cross-section of the propargyl radical journal April 2012
Time- and Isomer-Resolved Measurements of Sequential Addition of Acetylene to the Propargyl Radical journal September 2015
The products of the thermal decomposition of CH 3 CHO journal July 2011
Mechanism of the Pyrolysis of Bicyclo [2.2.1]heptadiene. Kinetics of the Bicyclo [2.2.1]heptadiene to Toluene Isomerization journal May 1964
Photoionization of C7H6 and C7H5: Observation of the Fulvenallenyl Radical journal December 2010
A photoionization study of the energetics of the C7H7+ ion formed from C7H8 precursors journal August 1978
Photoelectron spectroscopy of free radicals with cm −1 resolution: The benzyl cation journal December 1991
The electronic spectra of benzyl—a new transition journal May 1966
Vacuum ultraviolet laser pulsed field ionization-photoelectron study of allyl radical CH2CHCH2 journal May 2007
Composition of the C 6 + Fraction of Natural Gas by Multiple Porous Layer Open Tubular Capillaries Maintained at Low Temperatures journal December 2015
Rearrangements of free radicals, XI. Sigmatropic and electrocyclic reactions of bicyclo[3.2.0]heptadienyl radicals, 3-Quadricyclanyl radicals, and 7-norbornadienyl radical journal September 1985
Thermal isomerization in shock waves and flash photolysis of cycloheptatriene, III journal October 1975
Rotationally resolved threshold photoelectron spectrum of the methyl radical journal February 1993
Pyrolysis of furan in a microreactor journal September 2013
Soot formation in shock-tube pyrolysis of toluene, toluene-methanol, toluene-ethanol, and toluene-oxygen mixtures journal January 1996
Experimental investigation of the Jahn-Teller effect in the ground and excited electronic states of the tropyl radical. Part II. Vibrational analysis of the ÃE3″2-X̃E2″2 electronic transition journal February 2008
High-resolution threshold photoelectron study of the propargyl radical by the vacuum ultraviolet laser velocity-map imaging method journal December 2011
In Situ Direct Sampling Mass Spectrometric Study on Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Toluene Pyrolysis journal August 2007
Decomposition of the Benzyl Radical:  Quantum Chemical and Experimental (Shock Tube) Investigations of Reaction Pathways journal September 1997
Kinetics of the Reaction between Propargyl Radical and Acetylene journal June 2002
Single Photon Ionisation Mass Spectrometry Using Laser-Generated Vacuum Ultraviolet Photons journal January 1997
The ultraviolet photochemistry of diacetylene: Direct detection of primary products of the metastable C 4 H * 2 + C 4 H 2 reaction journal April 1993
Computational investigation of the Jahn-Teller effect in the ground and excited electronic states of the tropyl radical. Part I. Theoretical calculation of spectroscopically observable parameters journal February 2008
High Pressure Pyrolysis of Toluene. 1. Experiments and Modeling of Toluene Decomposition journal August 2006
High-temperature pyrolysis of toluene journal April 1987
Intense, hyperthermal source of organic radicals for matrix-isolation spectroscopy journal June 2003
Photon-induced unimolecular decay of the benzyl radical: first direct identification of the reaction pathway to C7H6 journal May 1994
Combustion Chemistry via Metadynamics: Benzyl Decomposition Revisited journal January 2015
Photoionisation of the tropyl radical journal January 2013
Reaction mechanisms for toluene pyrolysis journal January 1994
Methodology for Formulating Diesel Surrogate Fuels with Accurate Compositional, Ignition-Quality, and Volatility Characteristics journal May 2012
Threshold photoionization and dissociation of toluene and cycloheptatriene journal October 1977
Pyrolysis of fulvenallene (C7H6) and fulvenallenyl (C7H5): Theoretical kinetics and experimental product detection journal December 2011
High-Temperature Thermal Decomposition of Benzyl Radicals journal June 2006
A jet fuel surrogate formulated by real fuel properties journal December 2010
Fulvenallene Decomposition Kinetics journal September 2011
Characterization of Four Diesel Fuel Surrogates by the Advanced Distillation Curve Method journal March 2016
Thermal decomposition of CH 3 CHO studied by matrix infrared spectroscopy and photoionization mass spectroscopy journal October 2012
Radical Chemistry in the Thermal Decomposition of Anisole and Deuterated Anisoles: An Investigation of Aromatic Growth journal September 2010
The vibronic level structure of the cyclopentadienyl radical journal August 2008
Zero‐kinetic‐energy photoelectron spectroscopy from the A ̃  1 A u state of acetylene: Renner–Teller interactions in the trans ‐bending vibration of C 2 H + 2 X ̃  2 Π u journal November 1993
An experimental and theoretical study of toluene pyrolysis with tunable synchrotron VUV photoionization and molecular-beam mass spectrometry journal November 2009
Toluene cation: nearly free rotation of the methyl group journal November 1992
Thermal decomposition of toluene: a comparison of thermal and laser-photochemical activation experiments journal August 1988
Thermal decomposition of benzyl iodide and of benzyl radicals in shock waves journal August 1988
Performance of the vacuum ultraviolet high-resolution and high-flux beamline for chemical dynamics studies at the Advanced Light Source journal May 1997
Thermal decomposition of benzyl radicals in shock waves journal January 1982
The thermal decomposition of the benzyl radical in a heated micro-reactor. I. Experimental findings journal January 2015
On the mechanism of decomposition of the benzyl radical journal January 2009
Benzyl Radical Photodissociation Dynamics at 248 nm journal September 2015

Cited By (5)

Dimerization of the Benzyl Radical in a High-Temperature Pyrolysis Reactor Investigated by IR/UV Ion Dip Spectroscopy journal May 2018
Product detection study of the gas-phase oxidation of methylphenyl radicals using synchrotron photoionisation mass spectrometry journal January 2019
Dimerization of the Benzyl Radical in a High-Temperature Pyrolysis Reactor Investigated by IR/UV Ion Dip Spectroscopy journal April 2018
Measuring biomass fast pyrolysis kinetics: State of the art
  • SriBala, Gorugantu; Carstensen, Hans-Heinrich; Van Geem, Kevin M.
  • Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Vol. 8, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/wene.326
journal September 2018
An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of 1-Butanol Pyrolysis journal May 2019