The radiolysis of ethanol–ethylene systems. Part I. Telomerisation reactions at low pressures

Abstract

The products of the radiolysis of ethylene-saturated ethanol solutions are hydrogen, acetaldehyde, butan-2-ol, hexan-2-ol, 3-methylheptan-3-ol, and octan-2-ol. The yields increase with increasing ethylene concentration, decrease with increasing dose rate, and increase sharply with temperature. The results are consistent with a short chain mechanism initiated by the α-hydroxyalkyl radical. Values for apparent activation energies for the formation of the secondary alcohols have been obtained.