Thermal decomposition of 3-vinylcyclobutanone
Abstract
The thermal decomposition of 3-vinylcyclobutanone has been studied in the gas phase in the temperature range 239–290 °C. The reaction is kinetically first order and probably unimolecular and yields butadiene and keten quantitatively. The rate constants fit the Arrhenius equation (i). A comparison of these results with those for log k/s–1= 13.71 ± 0.07 –(176 300 ± 700 J mol–1)/RTIn 10 (i) other cyclobutanone decompositions gives further support for a twisted activated complex with a partial zwitterionic charge distribution.