Exploring the dynamics of reactions of oxygen atoms in states 3P and 1D with ethene at collision energy 3 kcal mol(-1).

In a crossed molecular-beam apparatus, we reacted atomic O in states (3)P and (1)D with ethene (C(2)H(4)) at collision energy 3 kcal mol(-1). Employing two mixtures, 20% O(2) + 80% He and 3% O(2) + 12.5% Ar + 84.5% He, as discharge media allowed us to generate two sources of oxygen atoms that have the same mean velocity but different ratios of (1)D/(3)P populations, 0.0017 and 0.035. We identified six reactions and recorded time-of-flight spectra of products CH(2)CHO, CH(2)CO, and CH(3) as a function of laboratory angle. Reaction O((3)P) + C(2)H(4) --> CH(2)CHO + H has a fraction f(t) = 0.43 of energy release in translation, and product CH(2)CHO has a maximal probability at scattering angle of 140 degrees. For reaction O((1)D) + C(2)H(4) --> CH(2)CO + 2H, f(t) = 0.26, and the angular distribution of product CH(2)CO shows a backward preference. For reaction O((3)P) + C(2)H(4) --> CH(2)CO + H(2), f(t) = 0.35, and the angular distribution of product CH(2)CO has a slight preference for a sideways direction. In contrast, reaction O((1)D) + C(2)H(4) --> CH(2)CO + H(2) has f(t) = 0.26 and an angular distribution with forward and backward peaking and symmetry. Reactions O((3)P and (1)D) + C(2)H(4) --> CH(3) + HCO have f(t) = 0.09 and 0.08, respectively, and angular distributions with forward and backward peaking and nearly symmetric. The reactivity of O (1)D with ethene is ca. 38 and 90 times that of O (3)P for channels to eliminate H(2) and CH(3), respectively. For reactions of O (1)D, the branching ratio for elimination of 2H is ca. 3.3 times that for elimination of H(2).