Measurement of the OH reaction rate constants for CF3CH2OH, CF3CF2CH2OH, and CF3CH(OH)CF3

The OH reaction rate constants have been measured for CF3CH2OH, CF3CF2CH2OH , and CF3CH(OH)CF3 over the temperature range 250-430K. Kinetic measurement s have been carried out using the discharge flow, laser photolysis, and fla sh photolysis methods, combined respectively with the laser-induced fluores cence technique to monitor the OH radical concentrations. The influence of impurities contained in the sample of CF3CF2CH2OH has been investigated by means of sample purification using gas chromatography. No sizable effect of impurities was found on the measured rate constants of these three fluorin ated alcohols. The Arrhenius rate constants have been determined from the r espective kinetic data as k(CF3CH2OH) = (2.00 +/- 0.37) x 10(-12) exp[-(890 +/- 60)/T], k(CF3CF2CH2OH) = (1.40 +/- 0.27) x 10(-12) exp[-(780 +/- 60)/T ], and k(CF3CH(OH)CF3) = (6.99 +/- 1.56) x 10(-13) exp[-(990 +/- 70)/T] cm( 3) molecule(-1) s(-1). A method of predicting the OH reaction rate constant s for fluorinated alcohols, hydrofluorocarbons, alkanes, and alcohols has b een proposed.