Photochemistry of Solid Ozone

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100339a004

Samples of neat solid ozone and ozone trapped in excess ice have been subjected to laser photolysis at 308 nm.Cross sections for photoabsorption and photodestruction of the ozone are reported.The quantum yield decreases from 1.5 +/- 0.2 in pure ozone to 0.4 +/- 0.2 for ozone in excess ice.These yields are consistent with a reaction mechanism in which electronically excited O(¹D) atoms are responsible for the photochemistry.In neat ozone, the atoms react with a neighboring ozone molecule to form two oxygen molecules.In water, O(¹D) reacts to form hydrogen peroxide, HCOOH.Ground-state oxygen atoms produced in the initial photolysis of ozone most likely undergo recombination with O2 to regenerate O3.