The Pressure Dependence of the Rate Constant for the t-Butoxy Radical Decomposition Reaction

A thermal decomposition of the tert-butoxy radical has been studied in the gas phase over the pressure range of 1-200 torr at $413_{\circ}K$ using di-tert-butyl peroxide + trimethylsilane mixtures. The relative rate constants were obtained by studying the competitive reactions between tert-butoxy radical decomposition 4(t-BuO·→ CH_3COCH_3 + CH_3·)$ and hydrogen abstraction reaction from trimethylsilane $(t-BuO·+ HSi(CH_3)_3 → t-BuOH + Si(CH_3)_3)·).$ The conventional RRKM calculations were carried out to compare the observed fall-off behavior of the decomposition rate constant $({\kappa}_d)$ with the theoretical predictions using reasonable values of input parameters. In all cases the calculated half-rate pressure $(P_{1/2})$ were significantly higher than those observed. The failure of RRKM to reproduce the fall-off behavior led us to suggest that not all of vibrational modes contribute to excitation (leading to decomposition) on the same time scale.