Formation of 6-methyl-1,4-dihydronaphthalene in the reaction of the p-tolyl radical with 1,3-butadiene under single-collision conditions.

Crossed molecular beam reactions of p-tolyl (C7H7) plus 1,3-butadiene (C4H6), p-tolyl (C7H7) plus 1,3-butadiene-d6 (C4D6), and p-tolyl-d7 (C7D7) plus 1,3-butadiene (C4H6) were carried out under single-collision conditions at collision energies of about 55 kJ mol(-1). 6-Methyl-1,4-dihydronaphthalene was identified as the major reaction product formed at fractions of about 94% with the monocyclic isomer (trans-1-p-tolyl-1,3-butadiene) contributing only about 6%. The reaction is initiated by barrierless addition of the p-tolyl radical to the terminal carbon atom of the 1,3-butadiene via a van der Waals complex. The collision complex isomerizes via cyclization to a bicyclic intermediate, which then ejects a hydrogen atom from the bridging carbon to form 6-methyl-1,4-dihydronaphthalene through a tight exit transition state located about 27 kJ mol(-1) above the separated products. This is the dominant channel under the present experimental conditions. Alternatively, the collision complex can also undergo hydrogen ejection to form trans-1-p-tolyl-1,3-butadiene; this is a minor contributor to the present experiment. The de facto barrierless formation of a methyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons by dehydrogenation via a single event represents an important step in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their partially hydrogenated analogues in combustion flames and the interstellar medium.