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Ozone Reactions with Olefins and Alkynes: Kinetics, Activation Energies, and Mechanisms

Yan Wang, Eva M. Rodrı́guez, Daniel Rentsch, Zhimin Qiang, Urs von Gunten

2025Environmental Science & Technology13 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The temperature dependence of the kinetics and the mechanisms of ozone reactions with 19 olefins and 3 alkynes were investigated. The second-order rate constants ( k O 3 ) for ozone reactions with olefins were mostly in the range of 10 3 –10 6 M –1 s –1, with activation energies of 17.4–37.7 kJ mol –1 . In comparison, alkynes had lower k O 3 (∼10 2 M –1 s –1 ) and higher activation energies (36.7–48.1 kJ mol –1 ). Reactivities of both olefins and alkynes are mainly influenced by inductive effects of substituents, with steric effects observed for cyclic olefins. 2-Buten-1,4-dial (BDA), synthesized with a novel method, is a toxic olefinic oxidation product from phenols. Its cis- and trans -isomers show distinct reactivities with ozone, with k O 3 (20 °C) of 3.0 × 10 3 and 1.2 × 10 4 M –1 s –1, respectively. Two mols of glyoxal were formed per mol of ozonated BDA, with a slow release of the second mol from an α-hydroxyalkylhydroperoxide intermediate. 2-Ethynylbenzaldehyde reacts with ozone with a stoichiometry of 1:1 and k O 3 (20 °C) = 1.6 × 10 2 M –1 s –1 . Ozone attacks the ethynyl group, yielding a carboxyl product (2-carboxybenzaldehyde, 54%), an aldehyde product (phthaldialdehyde), and a dicarbonyl product with a stoichiometric release of H 2 O 2 (21%). This study provides kinetic and mechanistic information for assessing the abatement of olefin- and alkyne-containing micropollutants by ozonation at various temperatures.

Topics & Concepts

KineticsOzoneActivation energyChemistryChemical kineticsEnvironmental scienceEnvironmental chemistryChemical engineeringPhotochemistryOrganic chemistryPhysicsEngineeringQuantum mechanicsAtmospheric chemistry and aerosolsCatalytic Processes in Materials ScienceAtmospheric Ozone and Climate