Benzonitrile and some molecules containing eight carbon atoms

8 BENZONITRILE AND SOME MOLECULES CONTAINING EIGHT CARBON ATOMS 

Rate coefficients have been determined for loss of HCN from the benzonitrile ion using fixed wavelength PIPECO [278]. As with benzene, the rate coefficients were in poor agreement with those from the earlier 

PIPECO with variable source residence time has been applied to benzonitrile [718] and the k(E) vs. E curves derived were in agreement with those in the earlier PIPECO study [278]. The kinetic shift observed on increasing the residence time from 1.07 to 6.90/is was about 0.4 eV. Analysis of the results led to a critical energy of 3.015 eV and indicated a tight transition state. 

Rate coefficients have been determined for the decomposition of (C8H8) ions from cyclooctatetraene and styrene to give (C6H6)t [773]. The ions from the different precursors exhibited the same k(E) vs. E curves, once the energy scales were shifted to permit comparisons, and it was suggested that the ions isomerise to a common structure or mixture of structures prior to decomposition after microseconds. 

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