Rates of Reactions of Cyclopropane, Cyclobutane, Cyclopentene, and Cyclohexene in the Presence of Boron Trichloride

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j150662a051

Cyclopropane (CP), cyclobutane, cyclopentene, and cyclohexene were heated, with added BCl3, in a static reactor to 628-748 K.The latter three were also heated with BCl3 to 939-1435 K in a single-pulse shock tube; a shock tube study of CP with BCl3 was reported earlier.In the static reactor CP isomerization to propene was greatly accelerated by BCl3 as previously reported, but none of the other reactants appeared to be affected by the catalyst.In the shock tube the BCl3 also appeared to have no effect on the primary decomposition reactions studied, but some changes in rates of side product formation were noted.Mechanistic implications of the high degree of specificity, shown by BCl3 toward reactions of cyclic hydrocarbons, are offered.