THE KINETICS OF THERMAL DIMERIZATION OF HEXATRIENE

The thermal isomerization of cis-hexatriene (cHT) to cyclohexadiene (C HD) and the dimerization of CHD and trans-hexatriene (tHT) in the liqu id phase in the temperature range 380 K-473 K are reported. The rate c oefficients are: for the cHT to CHD isomerization log k2 = -(27,500 +/ - 1500)/4.576 T + (10.7 +/- 0.5)(s-1) for tHT dimerization log k3a = - (23,100 +/- 300)/4.576 T + (7.6 +/- 0.1)l mol-1 s-1 log k3b = -(22,400 +/- 1000)/4.576 T + (7.6 +/- 0.1)l mol-1 s-1 log k3c = -(20,600 +/- 1 500)/4.576 T + (6.4 +/- 0.1)l mol-1 s 1 and for CHD dimerization; endo form log k5a = -(23,200 +/- 1500)/4.576 T + (6.1 +/- 0.2)l mol-1 s-1 exo form log k5b = -(25,400 +/- 1500)/4.576 T + (6.5 +/-0.2)l mol-1 s- 1 (C) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.