Density functional study of the high-temperature oxidation of o-, m- and p-xylyl radicals

Theoretical calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory have been performed to investigate the potential energy surface for the reaction of o-, m- and p-xylyl with molecular oxygen. The differences of the relative potential energies for the products and the transition states of o-, m- and p-xylyl with molecular oxygen were found to be within 8.5 kJ/mol at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. Although the reaction of m- and p-xylyl radicals with molecular oxygen have the same reaction pathways and also the same reaction thermochemistry as that of benzyl radicals, the o-xylylperoxy radicals formed by the reaction of o-xylyl + O(2) had an additional intramolecular isomerization pathway to form the o-xylyl hydroperoxy radicals. The rate constants and the product branching ratios for the o-xylyl + O(2) and its subsequent reactions were evaluated by the RRKM and master equation analysis. Possible roles for these reaction pathways on the combustion of o-xylenes are discussed.