Effective rate constants for the surface reaction between solid methanol and deuterium atoms at 10 K.

The surface reactions of CH3OH, CH2DOH, and CHD2OH with cold D atoms at 10 K were investigated using an atomic beam source and FTIR. Methyl-deuterated isotopologues CH2DOH, CHD2OH, and CD3OH were produced by exposure of amorphous solid CH3OH to D atoms at 10 K, and the pseudo-first-order rates for the reactions CH3OH + D --> CH2OH + HD, CH2DOH + D --> CHDOH + HD, and CHD2OH + D --> CD2OH + HD were estimated. The ratios of the reaction rates of the second and third reactions to the first reaction were 0.69 +/- 0.11 and 0.52 +/- 0.14, respectively. The difference in reaction rates is thought to be due to a secondary kinetic isotope effect on the H-abstraction reaction from the methyl side by D atoms.