THE REACTIONS OF METHYL RADICALS WITH CYCLOPROPANE, ETHYLENE OXIDE, METHANOL, AND DIMETHYL ETHER

Abstract

The reactions of methyl radicals, produced by the photochemical decomposition of dimethylmercury, with cyclopropane, ethylene oxide, methanol and dimethyl ether have been investigated between 100° and 250 °C. The following activation energies (kcal. mole⁻¹) for the abstraction of hydrogen from the compounds by methyl radicals were found: cyclopropane, 10.2; ethylene oxide 9.6; methanol, 8.2; and dimethyl ether, 8.0. The probability factors have been shown to be about 10⁻⁴ for all the compounds investigated.