Temperature-and pressure-dependent branching ratios for 2,6-dimethyl- heptyl radicals (C₉H₁₉) + O₂ reaction: An ab initio and RRKM/ME approach on a key component of bisabolane biofuel

Chemical kinetics mechanisms contain elementary reactions and associated Arrhenius rate parameters are necessary to understand the modeling of hydrocarbon autoignition chemistry. The complexity of such mechanisms is increased due to interest in operating next-generation combustion strategies in the low-temperature region (<= 1000 K), which is governed by O-2-addition to alkyl radicals (R), subsequent radical isomerization and decomposition steps thereafter. In this work, we report theoretically the reaction of molecular oxygen to the four isomers of 2,6-dimethylheptyl radicals (C9H19). The stationary points on potential energy surfaces (PES), rate constants, and branching ratios from C9H19 isomers initiated by O-2 has been investigated by a combination of ab initio/density functional theory (CBS-QB3) and advanced statistical rate theory i.e., microcanonical variational transition state theory (mu CVTST) and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM)/master equation (ME) simulations. The temperature- and pressure-dependent rate constants and branching ratios over temperature range 400 K-1000 K (with an interval of 50 K) and with different pressures 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 bar were computed. The RRKM/ME calculations reveal for addition of O-2 to the primary radical, 2,6-dimethylhept-1yl + O-2 reaction, the formation of 2-iso-butyl-4-methyl-tetrahydrofuran (a five membered cyclic ether) + OH via concerted C-C and O-O bond scission of primary-secondary QOOH and formation of ROO-1 is the kinetically favorable pathway below 600 K. For 2,6-dimethylhept-2-yl + O-2, three competitive favorable channels lead to the formation of 5-iso-propyl-2,2-dimethyl-tetrahydrofuran + OH, a five membered cyclic ether formed coincident with OH in a chain-propagating step from decomposition of tertiary-secondary hydroperoxyalkyl (QOOH), formation of a six membered cyclic ether i.e., 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpyran and ROO-2, however at higher temperature (>900 K) and 2-6-dimethyl-2-heptene is contributed equally over other products. For 2,6-dimethylhept3-yl + O-2 reaction, leading to 5-iso-propyl-2,2-dimethyltetrahydrofuran + OH (same products as in ROO-2) from decomposition of secondary-tertiary hydroperoxyalkyl (QOOH). For 2,6-dimethylhept-4-yl + O-2 reaction, it reveals the formation of chain-propagation channels leading to iso-butene + methyl-isobutanal + OH. The results of this study reveals the importance of temperature- and pressure-dependent branching ratios, which is necessary to understand the low temperature internal combustion mechanism. The unimolecular rate constants were also compared with the previously reported values for 2,6-dimethylheptyl radical + O-2 and similar reaction system i. e., 2,5-dimethylhexyl radical + O-2. The updated rate constants and branching ratios may also serve as general prototypes for low-temperature oxidation of branched alkanes of next-generation biofuels with similar structural motifs, such as bisabolane and farnesane.