Atmospheric chemistry of Di-tert-Butyl ether: Rates and products of the reactions with chlorine atoms, hydroxyl radicals, and nitrate radicals

The rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of di-tert-butyl ether (DTBE) with chlorine atoms, hydroxyl radicals, and nitrate radicals have been determined in relative rate experiments using FTIR spectroscopy. Values of k(DTBE+CI) = (1.4 ± 0.2) × 10−10,k(DTBE+OH) = (3.7 ± 0.7) × 10−12, and k(DTBE+N03) = (2.8 ± 0.9) × 10−16 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 were obtained.

Tert-butyl acetate was identified as the major product of both Cl atom and OH radical initiated oxidation of DTBE in air in the presence of NOx. The molar tert-butyl acetate yield was 0.85 ± 0.11 in the Cl atom experiments and 0.84 ± 0.11 in OH radical experiments. As part of this work the rate constant for reaction of Cl atoms with tert-butyl acetate at 295 K was determined to be (1.6 ± 0.3) &times 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1.

The stated errors are two standard deviations (2σ). © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.