Observation of the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO in the gas-phase ozonolysis of ethylene.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26601145.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.1400105 and PMC identifier 4643816.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Ozonolysis is one of the dominant oxidation pathways for tropospheric alkenes. Although numerous studies have confirmed a 1,3-cycloaddition mechanism that generates a Criegee intermediate (CI) with form R1R2COO, no small CIs have ever been directly observed in the ozonolysis of alkenes because of their high reactivity. We present the first experimental detection of CH2OO in the gas-phase ozonolysis of ethylene, using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and a modified pulsed nozzle, which combines high reactant concentrations with rapid sampling and sensitive detection. Nine other product species of the O3 + C2H4 reaction were also detected, including formaldehyde, formic acid, dioxirane, and ethylene ozonide. The presence of all these species can be attributed to the unimolecular and bimolecular reactions of CH2OO, and their abundances are in qualitative agreement with published mechanisms and rate constants.