𝔖 Bobbio Scriptorium
✦   LIBER   ✦

Photochemistry and photophysics of small heterocyclic molecules: III. Continuous wave CO2 laser chemistry of ethylene oxide

✍ Scribed by Aaron Sandoski; Joseph J. BelBruno


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
1999
Tongue
English
Weight
81 KB
Volume
12
Category
Article
ISSN
0894-3230

No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.

✦ Synopsis


The gas-phase continuous wave IR laser photolysis of ethylene oxide (oxirane) was examined in the presence of SiF 4 as a sensitizer molecule. Acetaldehyde, ethylene, acetylene, methane and carbon monoxide are the resultant gaseous products detected by IR spectroscopy. No significant reaction occurs in the absence of this sensitizing agent or at laser frequencies not resonant with transitions of both oxirane and SiF 4 . The dependence of the photolysis on laser fluence, gas (total and/or sensitizer) pressure and laser wavelength was examined. The data are consistent with the involvement of highly vibrationally excited oxirane molecules produced by a combination of collisional and radiative processes. The product distribution is consistent with recent ab initio predictions.