Atmospheric reactions Cl+CH3-(CH2)n-OH (n=0-4): a kinetic and theoretical study

The reactions of Cl with a series of linear alcohols: methanol (k1), ethanol (k2), 1-propanol (k3), 1-butanol (k4), and 1-pentanol (k5) were investigated as a function of temperature in the range of 264-382 K by laser photolysis-resonance fluorescence. The obtained kinetic data were used to derive the following Arrhenius expressions: k1=(3.55+/-0.22)x10(-10) exp[-(559+/-40)T], k2=(5.25+/-0.52)x10(-11) exp[(190+/-68)T], k3=(2.63+/-0.21)x10(-11) exp[(525+/-51)T], k4=(3.12+/-0.31)x10(-11) exp[(548+/-65)T], and k5=(3.97+/-0.48)x10(-11) exp[(533+/-77)T] (in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)). To our knowledge, these are the first absolute kinetic data reported for 1-butanol and 1-pentanol and also the first kinetic study as a function of temperature for these two compounds. Results, mechanism, and tropospheric implications are discussed and compared with the reported reactivity with OH radicals. Moreover, a theoretical insight into the mechanisms of these reactions has also been pursued through ab initio Möller-Plesset second-order perturbation treatment calculations with 6-311G** basis sets. Optimized geometries and vibrational frequencies have been obtained for transition states and molecular complexes appearing along the different reaction pathways. Furthermore, molecular energies have been calculated at quadratic configuration interaction with single, double, and triple excitations level in order to get an estimation of the activation energies.