A comprehensive experimental and modeling study of isobutene oxidation

The differences in low-temperature chemistry between alkanes and alkenes are also highlighted in this work. In normal alkanes, the fuel radical Ṙ adds to molecular oxygen forming alkylperoxyl (RȮ2) radicals followed by isomerization and chain branching reactions which promote low-temperature fuel reactivity. However, in alkenes, because of the relatively shallow well (∼20 kcal mol-1) for RȮ2 formation compared to ∼35 kcal mol-1 in alkanes, the Ṙ + O2 ⇌ RȮ2 equilibrium lies more to the left favoring Ṙ + O2 rather than RȮ2 radical stabilization. Based on this work, and related studies of allylic systems, it is apparent that reactivity for alkene components at very low temperatures (<800 K) emanates from hydroxyl radical addition followed by addition of molecular oxygen to radical. At intermediate temperatures (800-1300 K), alkene reactivity is controlled by hydrogen abstraction by molecular oxygen and the reactions between resonantly stabilized radicals and hydroperoxyl radicals which results in chain branching. At higher temperatures (>1300 K), the reactivity is mainly governed by the competition between hydrogen abstractions by molecular oxygen and ȮH radicals.