The kinetics of the reaction of hydroxyl radical with 1,3-butadiene at 240-340 K and a total pressure of approximately 1 Torr has been studied using relative rate combined with the discharge flow and mass spectrometer technique. The reaction dynamics of the same reaction has also been investigated using ab initio molecular orbital theory. The rate constant for this reaction was found to be negatively dependent on temperature, with an Arrhenius expression of k1 = (1.58 +/- 0.07) x 10(-11) exp[(436 +/- 13)/T] cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) (uncertainties taken as 2sigma), which was in good agreement with that reported by Atkinson et al. and Liu et al. at 299-424 K. Mass spectral evidences were found for the addition of OH to both the terminal and the internal carbons of 1,3-butadiene. Our computational results suggest that both addition of OH to 1,3-butadiene and the abstraction of hydrogen atom from 1,3-butadiene by the OH radical are exothermic processes and that the addition of OH to the terminal carbon of the 1,3-butadiene is predicted to have an activation energy of 0.7 kcal mol(-1), being the most energetically favored reaction pathway.

Rate constants of reactions of hydroxyl radical with cyclopentane (k1), cyclohexane (k2), cycloheptane (k3), and cyclooctane (k4) have been acquired at 240-340 K and a total pressure of about 1 Torr using the technique of relative rate combined with discharge flow and mass spectrometry (RR/DF/MS). At 298 K, the rate constants are determined using two reference compounds, which are averaged to be k1 = (4.81 ± 0.88) × 10(-12), k2 = (6.41 ± 0.85) × 10(-12), k3 = (10.30 ± 1.44) × 10(-12), and k4 = (1.42 ± 0.27) × 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The Arrhenius expressions at 240-340 K for these reactions are determined to be k1(T) = (2.43 ± 0.50) × 10(-11)exp[-(481 ± 58)/T], k2(T) = (3.96 ± 0.60) × 10(-11)exp[-554 ± 42)/T], k3(T) = (5.74 ± 0.66) × 10(-11)exp[-527 ± 33)/T], and k4(T) = (1.12 ± 0.21) × 10(-10)exp[-626 ± 53)/T]. Using the kcycloalkane+OH(277 K) values measured in the present work, the atmospheric lifetime for cyclopentane, cyclohexane, cycloheptane, and cyclooctane is estimated to be about 78, 64, 38, and 29 h, respectively.