Time-Resolved REMPI Detection of Methyl Radicals Generated in Laser-Induced Unimolecular Reactions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100044a014

The specific rate constants for the photofragmentation of four substituted benzene molecules (ethylbenzene, tert-butylbenzene, toluene, benotrifluoride) following pulsed laser excitation at λ=193 nm were measured in a molecular beam experiment by monitoring the change of the intensity of the nascent products as a function of time delay between excitation and detection laser pulses.In the case of toluene (C6H5CH3), ethylbenzene (C6H5CH2CH3), and tert-butylbenzene (C6H5C(CH3)3) a (3+1)REMPI process a Λ=450.8 nm was used to ionize the CH3 products, which were detected in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer.Following dissociation of benzotrifluoride (C6H5CF3) the trifluormethyl radical CF3 was detected at λ=455 nm.The measured specific rate constants can be modeled satisfactorily by using the SACM (statistic adiabatic channel model) statistical theory.