A kinetic study of the reaction of O(3P) with toluene

The absolute rate constant of the reaction of O(3P) with toluene was measured by the microwave discharge‐fast‐flow method to obtain kT = 109.7–2.7/2.303RT l./mole·sec at 100–375°C. This was in good agreement with the rate constant calculated from the combination of the relative rate constant obtained by Jones and Cvetanovic with the recently determined absolute rate constants of the reaction of O(3P) + olefins. The extrapolation of the above Arrhenius plot to 27°C was also in good agreement with the absolute value of kT = 4.5 × 107 l./mole·sec determined recently by Atkinson and Pitts at 27°C. The rate constant of the reaction of chlorobenzene with O(3P), obtained at 238°C as 108.3 l./mole·sec by a competitive method, was smaller than kT by a factor of about two at the same temperature.