At high temperature, gaseous acetaldehyde, CH3CHO, decomposes according to the overall reaction
CH3CHO→CH4+CO.
Kinetic data indicate that the reaction is first order in CH3CHO, and radical species are believed to play a role.
(a) Devise a mechanism composed only of bimolecular elementary steps that accounts for the overall decomposition and is consistent with the observed first-order rate law. Your mechanism must involve no more than two elementary steps and must include at least one radical intermediate.
(b) Identify all radical intermediates in your mechanism and show how they are generated and consumed.
(c) Demonstrate explicitly that your mechanism yields the overall balanced equation when the elementary steps are summed.