Determination of the Rate Constant of the Reaction of Benzene with Atomic Fluorine by the Method of Competing Reactions

The method of competing reactions is used to study the kinetics of the reaction of fluorine with benzene at a temperature of T = 293 K. The studies are carried out in a low-pressure flow reactor with the mass spectrometric detection of the reagents and reaction products. The reactions of fluorine atoms with cyclohexane, trifluoroacetic, and trichloroacetic acids are used as competing reactions. The ratios of the rate constants of benzene and these competing reactions with atomic fluorine are determined for the first time. The rate constant for the reaction of fluorine atoms with benzene is calculated based on the experimental data obtained and the reaction rate constants known from the literature: k 1 (293 K) = (2.0 ± 0.6) × 10 –10 cm 3 molecule –1 s –1 .