PHOTOLYSIS OF ACETONE – HYDROGEN HLORIDE MIXTURES

Abstract

The photolysis of acetone – hydrogen chloride mixtures has been investigated at 150 °C. and at room temperature. A strong suppression of ethane formation with a corresponding large increase in the formation of methane results from additions of relatively very small amounts of hydrogen chloride to acetone. The importance of the reactions[Formula: see text]and[Formula: see text]has been demonstrated. The collision yield of reaction (1) at 28 °C. is 2 × 10−4, and, therefore, the upper limit for E1 is 5.1 kcal. per mole. The effects observed at 150° and 28° indicate that, on the assumption of a zero activation energy and a steric factor of unity for combination of methyl radicals, E1 = 2.1 ± 1 kcal. per mole, and P1 is approximately 7 × 10−3.