THE REACTION OF METHYLENE WITH HYDROGEN

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Abstract
Abstract— An investigation has been made of the reaction between methylene, formed by the photolysis of ketene, and hydrogen. Ethane, ethylene and methane are the major hydrocarbon products, and it has been shown that the formation of these products may be adequately described by the sequence of processesCH2CO +hv→ CH2+ CO (1)CH2+ H2→ CH3+H (2)2CH3→ C2H6 (3)CH3+ H2+ CH4+ H (4)CH2+ CH2CO → C2H4+ CO (7)In particular, the relative rates of ethane and methane formation are consistent with the known rate constants for reactions (3) and (4), and it is not therefore necessary to postulate the participation of an ‘insertion’ processCH2+ H2→ CH4 (6) to account for the formation of methane.Decrease of the energy possessed by the methylene, either by increase of the wavelength of ketene photolysis, or by increase of gas pressure, is shown to result in an increase in the reactivity of the methylene towards ketene relative to its reactivity towards hydrogen (i.e. the ratio k2/k2 increases).

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