The
rate constant for the self-reaction of the acetonyl peroxy
radicals, CH3C(O)CH2O2, has been
determined using laser photolysis/continuous wave cavity ring down
spectroscopy (cw-CRDS). CH3C(O)CH2O2 radicals have been generated from the reaction of Cl atoms with
CH3C(O)CH3, and the concentration time profiles
of four radicals (HO2, CH3O2, CH3C(O)O2, and CH3C(O)CH2O2) have been determined by cw-CRDS in the near-infrared. The
rate constant for the self-reaction was found to be k = (5.4 ± 1.4) × 10–12 cm3 s–1, in good agreement with a recently published
value (Zuraski, K., et al. J. Phys. Chem. A
2020, 124, 8128); however, the branching
ratio for the radical path was found to be ϕ1b =
(0.6 ± 0.1), which is well above the recently published value
(0.33 ± 0.13). The influence of a fast reaction of Cl atoms with
the CH3C(O)CH2O2 radical became evident
under some conditions; therefore, this reaction has been investigated
in separate experiments. Through the simultaneous fitting of all four
radical profiles to a complex mechanism, a very fast rate constant
of k = (1.35 ± 0.8) × 10–10 cm3 s–1 was found, and experimental
results could be reproduced only if Cl atoms would partially react
through H-atom abstraction to form the Criegee intermediate with a
branching fraction of ϕCriegee = (0.55 ± 0.1).
Modeling the HO2 concentration–time profiles was
possible only if a subsequent reaction of the Criegee intermediate
with CH3C(O)CH3 was included in the mechanism
leading to HO2 formation with a rate constant of k = (4.5 ± 2.0) × 10–14 cm3 s–1.