Reactions of chlorine atoms with a series of aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

Aromatic hydrocarbons, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), are present in urban and rural atmospheres. Reactions of PAHs with Cl atoms may occur in the marine boundary layer and in coastal regions. To assess the importance of these reactions and to investigate whether any unique chlorine-containing products are formed from these reactions, we have measured the rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of Cl atoms with toluene-d8, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (1,3,5-TMB), naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene-d10 (1-MN-d10), 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene (1- and 2-MN), 1- and 2-ethylnaphthalene (1- and 2-EN), and the dimethylnaphthalenes (DMNs) at 296 +/- 2 K. A relative rate technique was used, and, using our measured rate constant forthe reaction of Cl atoms with 1,3,5-TMB of 2.42 x 10(-10) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1), the rate constants (in units of 10(-10) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1)) are as follows: naphthalene, < or = 0.0091 +/- 0.0003; 1-MN, 1.21 +/- 0.16; 2-MN, 1.05 +/- 0.13; 1-EN, 2.12 +/- 0.35; 2-EN, 1.38 +/- 0.27; 1,2-DMN, 3.61 +/- 0.68; 1,3-DMN, 2.90 +/- 0.22; 1,4-DMN, 2.93 +/- 0.30; 1,5-DMN, 2.31 +/- 0.19; 1,6-DMN, 2.15 +/- 0.20; 1,7-DMN, 3.05 +/- 0.34; 1,8-DMN, 3.07 +/- 0.44; 2,3-DMN, 2.93 +/- 0.49; 2,6-DMN, 2.34 +/- 0.18; and 2,7-DMN, 2.00 +/- 0.22, where the indicated errors are two standard deviations and do not include the uncertainty in the rate constant for 1,3,5-TMB. The measured deuterium isotope effects for the toluene-d8 and 1-MN-d10 reactions indicate that the reactions proceed by initial H- (or D-) atom abstraction. The products identified and quantified from the toluene and 1-MN reactions using gas chromatography and in situ direct air sampling atmospheric pressure ionization tandem mass spectrometry were benzaldehyde (84% +/- 7% yield) and benzyl alcohol (11% +/- 2% yield) from toluene and 1-naphthaldehyde (approximately 36%, lower limit to yield) and 1-naphthyl alcohol (approximately 12%, lower limit to yield) from 1-MN. These products confirm that H-atom abstraction is the dominant, if not sole, reaction pathway for the alkylbenzenes and alkylnaphthalenes, consistent with the 100-fold lower rate constant measured for naphthalene compared to the alkylnaphthalenes and with the measured deuterium isotope effects.