Radical Intermediates and Stable Products in Acrolein Pyrolysis

Abstract Acrolein is a commonly encountered health hazard and pollutant. It is frequently used in industrial synthesis and is also a by-product of many combustion and other high temperature processes, especially those involving biological substances (e.g. forest fires, deep frying, or cigarette smoke). Despite the clear need for investigation of the chemical behavior of acrolein at high temperatures, little experimental work has been done on the decomposition of acrolein using apparatus capable of observing reactive species. In this work, the pyrolysis of acrolein was studied at temperatures of up to 1700 K, with a focus on identification of radicals and other unstable species produced in the early reaction stages. Vinyl, formyl, and methyl radicals were all observed, either directly or indirectly. Detection of these reactive intermediates reveals the reaction pathways to stable species, including CO, ethylene, and acetylene, which were also observed. Our findings further the understanding of acrolein's high temperature chemistry, which has significant health and environmental importance.