The Reactions of Methylene‐t with Ethylene [l]

Abstract

Abstract Methylene‐t from the photolysis of CHTCO has been reacted with ethylene, in the presence and absence of O 2 , over the pressure range from 10–30.000 Torr. Both the ratio of cyclopropane to propylene and the intramolecular distribution of tritium within propylene have been measured for each experiment. The data are quantitatively consistent with three CHT reaction paths: 17% 1 CHT insertion in C–H bonds; 54% 1 CHT reaction with the double bond; and 29% 3 CHT addition to the double bond. The cyclopropane‐t formed by 3 CHT addition has an average excitation energy of ∼91 kcal/mol, while that formed by 1 CHT reaction has an average energy of ∼106 kcal/mol.