We have announced the infrared detection (1) of v3 of the CC13 radical and recently discussed the infrared spectra c2p3) of th e products of reactions of lithium atoms with carbon tetrachloride observed when molecular beams of the alkali metal and halocarbon at high dilution in argon are simultaneously condensed on a salt window at 15'K. Since we were not aware of the pyrolysis and discharge work of Steudelc4) at the writing of these earlier papers, we feel that it is now necessary to question the interpretation presented by Steudel.
Steudel passed gas streams of CC14, C2C16, HCC13 and SCC12 through a pyrolysis (9OO'C) or discharge tube and onto a salt window at 83oK where he observed a new absorption at 896 cm-' which could not be attributed to any stable chlorocarbon material. Since both C2C16 and C2C14 reaction products were found for each of Steudel's precursors, both CC13 and Ccl2 intermediates are likely to be present. Because Ccl3 is expected to be pyramidal, Steudel feels that 896 cm-' is too high a frequency for assignment to CC13, so he assigns this absorption to v3 of CC12.
In reactions of lithium atoms with carbon tetrachloride (1,2) , we observe a very intense absorption at 897.8 _+ 0.5 cm-' which has a 13C counterpart at 869.0 f 0.5 cm-l. When the various perbromochloromethane(2) parent materials are deposited