Rate constant for the reaction of CH3C(O)CH2 radical with HBr and its thermochemical implication

Extension of Structure-Reactivity Correlations for the Hydrogen Abstraction Reaction by Bromine Atom and Comparison to Chlorine Atom and Hydroxyl Radical

Recently we presented structure-reactivity correlations for the gas-phase ambient-temperature rate constants for hydrogen abstraction from sp(3)-hybridized carbon by chlorine atom and hydroxyl radical (Cl•/HO• + HCR3 → HCl/HOH + •CR3); the reaction enthalpy effect was represented by the independent variable ΔrH and the "polar effect" by the independent variables F and R, the Hammett constants for field/inductive and resonance effects. Both these reactions are predominantly exothermic and have early transition states. Here, we present a parallel treatment for Br• whose reaction is significantly endothermic with a correspondingly late transition state. Despite lower expectations because the available database is less extensive and much more scattered and because long temperature extrapolations are often required, the resulting least-squares fit (log k298,Br = -0.147 ΔrH - 4.32 ΣF - 4.28 ΣR - 12.38 with r(2) = 0.92) was modestly successful and useful for initial predictions. The coefficient of ΔrH was ∼4-fold greater, indicative of the change from an early to a late transition state; meanwhile the sizable coefficients of ΣF and ΣR indicate the persistence of the "polar effect". Although the mean unsigned deviation of 0.79 log k298 units is rather large, it must be considered in the context of a total span of over 15 log units in the data set. The major outliers are briefly discussed.

Thermochemistry of Acetonyl and Related Radicals

Density functional and ab initio calculations at CBS-QB3 levels of theory were employed with a series of isodesmic reactions to determine the thermochemistry of the 2-oxopropyl or acetonyl radical (CH(3)COC*H2). In turn, this was used to determine formation enthalpies of 2-oxoethyl or formylmethyl (C*H(2)CHO), 2-oxobutyl (C*H(2)COC(2)H(5)), 1-methyl-2-oxopropyl or methylacetonyl (C*H(CH(3))COCH(3)), 1-methyl-2-oxobutyl (C*H(CH(3))COC(2)H(5)), and 3-oxopentyl (C*H(2)CH2COC(2)H(5)). Our computed standard enthalpy of formation of -34.9 +/- 1.9 kJ mol-1 and a resonance stabilization energy of approximately 22 kJ mol(-1) for acetonyl are in good agreement with recent re-determinations, which have indicated a substantial lowering in the long-established value for DeltaH(f)o (298.15 K). A bond dissociation energy of 401 kJ mol(-1) is suggested for the C-H bond in acetone with consistent values for the others. The calculations support the enthalpy of formation of acetaldehyde obtained from combustion experiments of -166.1 kJ mol(-1) rather than the figure of -170.7 kJ mol(-1) extracted from enthalpies of reduction and, in addition, serve to reduce the uncertainty in DeltaH(f)o the 2-oxoethyl radical to +13 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1).