Unimolecular reaction dynamics of free radicals

Free radical reactions are of crucial importance in combustion and in atmospheric chemistry. Reliable theoretical models for predicting the rates and products of these reactions are required for modeling combustion and atmospheric chemistry systems. Unimolecular reactions frequently play a crucial role in determining final products. The dissociations of vinyl, CH2= CH, and methoxy, CH3O, have low barriers, about 13,000 cm-1 and 8,000 cm-1, respectively. Since barriers of this magnitude are typical of free radicals these molecules should serve as benchmarks for this important class of reactions. To achieve this goal, a detailed understanding of the vinyl and methoxy radicals is required. Results for dissociation dynamics of vinyl and selectively deuterated vinyl radical are reported. Significantly, H-atom scrambling is shown not to occur in this reaction. A large number of spectroscopic experiments for CH3O and CHD2O have been performed. Spectra recorded include laser induced fluorescence (LIF), laser excited dispersed fluorescence (LEDF), fluorescence dip infrared (FDIR) and stimulated emission pumping (SEP). Such results are critical for implementing dynamics experiments involving the dissociation of methoxy.