Unimolecular thermal decomposition of dimethoxybenzenes
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215 (United States)
The unimolecular thermal decomposition mechanisms of o-, m-, and p-dimethoxybenzene (CH{sub 3}O-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-OCH{sub 3}) have been studied using a high temperature, microtubular (μtubular) SiC reactor with a residence time of 100 μs. Product detection was carried out using single photon ionization (SPI, 10.487 eV) and resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry and matrix infrared absorption spectroscopy from 400 K to 1600 K. The initial pyrolytic step for each isomer is methoxy bond homolysis to eliminate methyl radical. Subsequent thermolysis is unique for each isomer. In the case of o-CH{sub 3}O-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-OCH{sub 3}, intramolecular H-transfer dominates leading to the formation of o-hydroxybenzaldehyde (o-HO-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-CHO) and phenol (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}OH). Para-CH{sub 3}O-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-OCH{sub 3} immediately breaks the second methoxy bond to form p-benzoquinone, which decomposes further to cyclopentadienone (C{sub 5}H{sub 4}=O). Finally, the m-CH{sub 3}O-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-OCH{sub 3} isomer will predominantly follow a ring-reduction/CO-elimination mechanism to form C{sub 5}H{sub 4}=O. Electronic structure calculations and transition state theory are used to confirm mechanisms and comment on kinetics. Implications for lignin pyrolysis are discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 22420062
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 140, Issue 23; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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