KINETICS OF THE REACTION BETWEEN METHOXYL RADICALS AND HYDROGEN-ATOMS

The kinetics of the reaction of CH3O with H have been studied under pseudo-first-order conditions with an excess of H using an isothermal discharge-flow reactor. Three different CH3O sources were used and the decay of [CH3O] was monitored by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) as a function of [H]. A second-order rate coefficient of (2.0 +/- 0.6) x 10(13) cm3 mol-1 s-1 was determined for reaction CH3O + H --> products at room temperature and a slight positive temperature dependence was observed between 298 and 490 K. Formaldehyde formation was found to be the dominant reaction path (81 +/- 12%). Further identified products were OH (7 +/- 3%) and methanol (a few percent) which were produced by the decomposition and stabilization, respectively, of the initially formed bound adduct.