Low-Temperature Combustion Chemistry of n-Butanol: Principal Oxidation Pathways of Hydroxybutyl Radicals

Reactions of hydroxybutyl radicals with O-2 were investigated by a combination of quantum-chemical calculations and experimental measurements of product formation. In pulsed-photolytic Cl-initiated oxidation of n-butanol, the time-resolved and isomer-specific product concentrations were probed using multiplexed tunable synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry (MPIMS). The interpretation of the experimental data is underpinned by potential energy surfaces for the reactions of O-2 with the four hydroxybutyl isomers (1-hydroxybut-1-yl, 1-hydroxybut-2-yl, 4-hydroxybut-2-yl, and 4-hydroxybut-1-yl) calculated at the CBS-QB3 and RQCISD(T)/cc-pV infinity Z//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory. The observed product yields display substantial temperature dependence, arising from a competition among three fundamental pathways: (1) stabilization of hydroxybutylperoxy radicals, (2) bimolecular product formation in the hydroxybutyl + O-2 reactions, and (3) decomposition of hydroxybutyl radicals. The 1-hydroxybut-1-yl + O-2 reaction is dominated by direct HO2 elimination from the corresponding peroxy radical forming butanal as the stable coproduct. The chemistry of the other three hydroxybutylperoxy radical isomers mainly proceeds via alcohol-specific internal H-atom abstractions involving the H atom from either the OH group or from the carbon attached to the -OH group. We observe evidence of the recently reported water elimination pathway (Welz et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2013, 4 (3), 350-354) from the 4-hydroxybut-2-yl + O-2 reaction, supporting its importance in gamma-hydroxyalkyl + O-2 reactions. Experiments using the 1,1-d2 and 4,4,4-d(3) isotopologues of n-butanol suggest the presence of yet unexplored pathways to acetaldehyde.