Atmospheric chemistry of CF3C≡CCF3: Kinetics, products, mechanism of gas-phase reaction with OH radicals, and atmospheric implications

Abstract The CF3C ≡ CCF3 reaction offers a potential alternative to greenhouse gas-producing reactions in a wide range of industrial applications; however, a better understanding of its impacts on the atmospheric environment is needed before it can be safely and effectively applied on a large scale. In this study, the rate constant (k1) for the reaction of CF3C ≡ CCF3 with OH was measured to be (7.28 ± 0.07) × 10−14 by the relative rate method, and the Arrhenius expression was k1 (253–328 K) = (1.53 ± 0.44) × 10–12 exp[–(906 ± 97)/T] cm3 molecule−1 s−1. The atmospheric lifetime of CF3C ≡ CCF3 was estimated to be 159 d, while its radiative efficiency was determined to be 0.250 Wm−2 ppb−1. The 20-, 100-, and 500-year global warming potentials of CF3C ≡ CCF3 were estimated to be 152, 41, and 12, respectively. What’s more, the photochemical ozone creation potentials of CF3C ≡ CCF3 were estimated to be 0.50 and 0.13 for northwestern European conditions and US urban conditions, respectively. Hence, its contribution to the formation of tropospheric ozone is negligible. What’s more, CF3OOOCF3, COF2, and CO2 were identified as carbon-containing products following the degradation of CF3C ≡ CCF3. Our results confirm that there is no secondary environmental pollution following the degradation of CF3C ≡ CCF3. Hence, the findings show that CF3C≡CCF3 is a substitute with relatively low environmental impact.