Reactions of OH radicals with C6-C10 cycloalkanes in the presence of NO: isomerization of C7-C10 cycloalkoxy radicals.

Rate constants have been measured for the reactions of OH radicals with a series of C(6)-C(10) cycloalkanes and cycloketones at 298 ± 2 K, by a relative rate technique. The measured rate constants (in units of 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)) were cycloheptane, 11.0 ± 0.4; cyclooctane, 13.5 ± 0.4; cyclodecane, 15.9 ± 0.5; cyclohexanone, 5.35 ± 0.10; cycloheptanone, 9.57 ± 0.41; cyclooctanone, 15.4 ± 0.7; and cyclodecanone, 20.4 ± 0.8, where the indicated errors are two least-squares standard deviations and do not include uncertainties in the rate constant for the reference compound n-octane. Formation yields of cycloheptanone from cycloheptane (4.2 ± 0.4%), cyclooctanone from cyclooctane (0.85 ± 0.2%), and cyclodecanone from cyclodecane (4.9 ± 0.5%) were also determined by gas chromatography, where the molar yields are in parentheses. Analyses of products by direct air sampling atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry and by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed, in addition to the cycloketones, the presence of cycloalkyl nitrates, cyclic hydroxyketones, hydroxydicarbonyls, hydroxycarbonyl nitrates, and products attributed to carbonyl nitrates and/or cyclic hydroxynitrates. The observed formation of cyclic hydroxyketones from the cycloheptane, cyclooctane and cyclodecane reactions, with estimated molar yields of 46%, 28%, and 15%, respectively, indicates the occurrence of cycloalkoxy radical isomerization. Potential reaction mechanisms are presented, and rate constants for the various alkoxy radical reactions are derived.