Methyl radical reactions on oxide surfaces

Abstract

Rate constants have been measured for the wall reaction CH₃·+(CH₃COCH₃)_ads→ CH₄+(CH₃COCH₂·)_ads on a series of oxide surfaces at 127°C. The adsorbed acetonyl radical formed in this process reacts before being desorbed, but in doing so does not form methyl ethyl ketone. The wall efficiencies vary markedly with the nature of the oxide surface and lie in the range 10^–6 to 2 × 10^–4. There is some similarity between the patterns of reactivity shown by oxides towards this reaction, and towards oxygen atom recombination.