The Reactions of NH Radicals with Ethylene and Propene in the Liquid Phase

The photolysis of hydrogen azide was studied in liquid ethylene, propene, and the mixture with ethane at the temperature of Dry Ice–methanol. The products observed were aziridine (0.18), ammonia (0.16), and nitrogen (1.0) from the ethylene solution and 2-methylaziridine (0.33), allylamine (0.12), ammonia (0.17), and nitrogen (1.0) from the propene solution. The values in parentheses show the yields relative to that of nitrogen. The relative yields were independent of the concentration of hydrogen azide in the range of 0.8–8×10−2 mol dm−3. The reaction of NH(a1Δ) radicals with olefin consists of three processes: the addition to double bond, the insertion into the C–H bond, and the deactivation to the 3Σ− state. The branching ratios and the relative rate constants of the reactions of NH(a1Δ) radicals with ethylene, propene, and ethane were estimated.