THE REACTION OF METHYL RADICALS WITH FORMALDEHYDE

Abstract

The pyrolysis of di-t-butyl peroxide has been reinvestigated and used as a source of methyl radicals to study the abstraction reaction between methyl radicals and formaldehyde. At low [HCHO]/[peroxide] ratios the system was simple enough for kinetic analysis, and a value of 6.6 kcal/mole was obtained for the activation energy. At higher [HCHO]/[peroxide] ratios the system became very complicated, possibly due to the increased importance of addition reactions.