THE EFFECT OF MOLECULAR OXYGEN ON THE REACTION OF OXYGEN ATOMS WITH cis-2-PENTENE

The effect of the presence of nitrogen, oxygen, and nitric oxide on the reaction between cis-2-pentene and oxygen atoms has been investigated at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C). For production of oxygen atoms use was made of mercury-photosensitized decomposition of nitrous oxide and of the photolysis of nitrogen dioxide at 3660 Å.In the N 2 O work, the presence of molecular oxygen induced the formation of acetaldehyde, propanal, methanol, and ethanol. In the NO 2 work, the amounts of acetaldehyde, propanal, and ethyl nitrate formed increased rapidly with increasing pressure of molecular oxygen. Possible reaction mechanisms for the formation of these compounds are discussed.Additional information was obtained on the pressure-independent fragmentation in the reaction of oxygen atoms with cis-2-pentene.