Deuterium kinetic isotope effects on the thermal isomerizations of deuteriocyclopropane to deuterium-labeled propenes

Abstract

The gas-phase thermal isomerizations of deuteriocyclopropane to the four possible monodeuterium-labeled propenes have been followed at 435 °C. The observed distribution of products provides estimates of two deuterium kinetic isotope effects, the secondary [Formula: see text] for the carbon–carbon bond cleavage leading to trimethylene diradical reactive intermediates and the primary [Formula: see text] ratio for a [1,2] shift of a hydrogen or deuterium leading from the diradical to a labeled propene. The values determined are [Formula: see text] = 1.09 ± 0.03 and [Formula: see text] = 1.55 ± 0.06. The experimental [Formula: see text] value found agrees well with some, but not all, earlier calculated values and conjectures. Key words: cyclopropane, thermal rearrangement, kinetic isotope effects.