Mystery of 1-Vinylpropargyl Formation from Acetylene Addition to the Propargyl Radical: An Open-and-Shut Case

Abstract

The addition of acetylene (C2H2) to the propargyl radical (C3H3) initiates a cascade of molecular weight growth reactions that result in the production of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in flames. Although it is well-established that the first reaction step produces the cyclic C5H5 radical cyclopentadienyl (c-C5H5), recent studies have also detected significant quantities of the open-chain form, 1-vinylpropargyl (l-C5H5). This work presents a mechanism for the C3H3 + C2H2 reaction from ab initio calculations, which includes pathways for the formation of both the open and shut isomers as well as for their interconversion. Formation of both isomers proceeds from the initial HCCCH2CHCH..