Thermal and Infrared Multiphoton Decompositions of γ-Butyrolactone in the Vapor Phase

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.65.3112

The thermal decomposition of γ-butyrolactone was studied in a static system at temperatures from 690 to 833 K and pressures from 70 to 4300 Pa.The major products were CO, CO2, ethylene, propylene, and cyclopropane.The first-order rate constants for the apparently homogeneous formation of CO is described in terms of Arrhenius parameters log A (s^-1) = 16.44 +/- 0.04 and E_a = 310 +/- 4.2 kJ mol^-1.Under the same conditions the ratio of CO2:CO increased with decreasing temperature, corresponding to an activation energy of about 294 kJ mol ^-1 for CO2 formation and a frequency factor of about 60-times lower than that for CO formation.The decomposition induced by a pulsed CO2 laser was also studied; the same decomposition products were observed and the dependences of their yields on the fluence were examined.