A product study of the gas‐phase reaction of Methacrolein with the OH radical in the presence of NO_x

Abstract

Abstract The gas‐phase reaction of methacrolein with the OH radical, in the presence of NO x , was investigated at 298 ± 2 K and atmospheric pressure of air. Hydroxyacetone, methylglyoxal, a peroxyacyl nitrate identified as CH 2  C(CH 3 )C(O)OONO 2 (peroxymethacryloyl nitrate), formaldehyde, CO, and CO 2 were observed to be the major products. The product yield data for these compounds show that OH radical addition to the >C  C< bond accounts for ca. 50% of the overall reaction, with the remaining ca. 50% proceeding via H—atom abstraction from the CHO group. The data suggest that the alkoxy radical equation image formed following the addition of OH to the terminal carbon atom, decomposes primarily to give the formyl radical plus hydroxyacetone. A lower limit ratio of 5: 1 has been estimated for OH radical addition to the terminal carbon atom of the double bond relative to addition on the inner carbon atom.