Enols Are Common Intermediates in Hydrocarbon Oxidation
Models for chemical mechanisms of hydrocarbon oxidation rely on spectrometric identification of molecular
structures in flames. Carbonyl (keto) compounds are well-established combustion intermediates. However,
their less-stable enol tautomers, bearing OH groups adjacent to carbon-carbon double bonds, are not included
in standard models. We observed substantial quantities of two-, three-, and four-carbon enols by photoionization
mass spectrometry of flames burning representative compounds from modern fuel blends. Concentration profiles
demonstrate that enol flame chemistry cannot be accounted for purely by keto-enol tautomerization. Currently
accepted hydrocarbon oxidation mechanisms will likely require revision to explain the formation and reactivity
of these unexpected compounds.
C.A. Taatjes, N. Hansen, A. McIlroy, J.A. Miller, J.P. Senosiain, S.J. Klippenstein, F. Qi, L. Sheng, Y. Zhang, T.A. Cool, J. Wang, P.R. Westmoreland, M.E. Law, T. Kasper, K. Kohse-Höinghaus, Science 308, 1887–1889, 2005.
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