Collisional deactivation of vibrationally highly excited benzyl radicals

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/bbpc.19971011216

The collisional deactivalion of vibrationally highly excited benzyl radicals in the ground electronic state has been investigated. Vibrationally excited benzyl radicals have been generated using the fast dissociation of vibrationally excited ethylbenzene prepared from UV absorption followed by fast internal conversion. Subsequent to complete collisional deactivation the benzyl radicals have been reexcited by the absorption of a further UV-photon also followed by fast internal conversion. Once again the collisional deactivation of the benzyl radicals has been monitored by time-resolved UV absorption spectroscopy. Average energies transferred per collision have been determined by comparison of absorption-time profiles with different initial vibrational energies. It was found that the rate of collisional deactivation of the open shell benzyl radical is almost identical to the rate of collisional deactivation of the closed shell hydrocarbons of similar size. WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, 1997.