AbstractUsing the flash photolysis resonance fluorescence technique, absolute rate constants were determined for the gas phase reactions of hydroxyl radicals with a series of aliphatic polyethers. At 298 K, the measured rate constants (in units of 10−12cm3molecule−1s−1) were: 2,2‐dimethoxypropane, (3.9 ± 0.2); 2,2‐diethoxypropane, (11.7 ± 1.3); 1,2‐dimethoxypropane, (14.3± 1.5); 2‐methoxyethylether, (17.5 ± 1.1); 2‐ethoxyethlyether, (26.8 ± 2.4); 1,1‐dimethoxyethane, (8.9 ± 1.0); and 1,1,3‐trimethoxypropane, (16.7 ± 1.0).The temperature dependencies of the rate constants for 2,2‐dimethoxypropane and 2,2‐diethoxypropane, reactions (1) and (2), were studied over the temperature range 240–440 K and are expressed by the Arrhenius equations:\documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$$k_{\rm 1} = (3.55\,\, \pm 0.39)\,\, \times \,\,10^{ - 12} \,\,\exp [(30 \pm 35)\,/T]\,\,{\rm cm}^{\rm 3} \,\,{\rm molecule}^{{\rm - 1}} {\rm s}^{{\rm - 1}}$$\end{document}\documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$$k_{\rm 2} = (1.06\,\, \pm 0.25)\,\, \times \,\,10^{ - 11} \,\,\exp [(15 \pm 75)\,/T]\,\,{\rm cm}^{\rm 3} \,\,{\rm molecule}^{{\rm - 1}} {\rm s}^{{\rm - 1}}$$\end{document}Implications of the results are discussed in terms of reaction mechanisms and the prediction of gas phase OH radical reactio