Monoterpenes represent
a class of hydrocarbons consisting of two
isoprene units. Like many other terpenes, monoterpenes emerge mainly
from vegetation, indicating their significance in both atmospheric
chemistry and pharmaceutical and food industries. The atmospheric
recycling of monoterpenes constitutes a major source of secondary
organic aerosols. Therefore, this contribution focuses on the mechanism
and kinetics of atmospheric oxidation of five dominant monoterpenes
(i.e., limonene, α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, and camphene)
by singlet oxygen. The reactions are initiated via the ene-type addition
of singlet oxygen (O
2
1
Δ
g
)
to the electron-rich double bond, progressing favorably through the
concerted reaction mechanisms. The physical analyses of the frontier
molecular orbitals agree well with the thermodynamic properties of
the selected reagents, and the computed reaction rate parameters.
The reactivity of monoterpenes with O
2
1
Δ
g
follows the order of α-pinene > sabinene > limonene
> β-pinene > camphene, i.e., α-pinene and camphene
retain
the highest and lowest reactivity toward singlet oxygen, with rate
expressions of
k
(
T
) (M
–1
s
–1
) = 1.13 × 10
8
exp(−48(kJ)/
RT
(K)) and 6.93 × 10
8
exp(−139(kJ)/
RT
(K)), respectively. The effect of solvent on the primary
reaction pathways triggers a slight reduction in energy, ranging between
12 and 34 kJ/mol.