Vibrationally Excited Carbon Dioxide Produced by Infrared Multiphoton Pyrolysis

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j150657a030

Vibrationally excited CO2 has been observed in the infrared multiphoton pyrolysis (IRMP) of some organic molecules.The pyrolysis was induced by a high-power, pulsed CO2, TEA laser.The vibrational excitation of CO2 was investigated by time-delayed, intracavity probing with a weak flash photolysis CO2 laser.The molecules 2-oxetanone (β-propiolactone), 3-butenoic acid (vinylacetic acid), and 2-oxopropanoic acid (pyruvic acid) were all shown to produce vibrationally excited CO2 as one of the photofragments.The excitation involved the symmetric stretchig mode, as well as the asymmetric steretching mode, of CO2.The results provide information about the structural dynamics of each reaction as well as the geometry of the transition states.