CHIMIA (Mar 2000)
Photochemistry of Hydrocarbon Radicals
Abstract
Hydrocarbon radicals are ideal model systems to understand the dynamics of chemical reactions. In addition they are of considerable importance in high-energy environments, such as combustion engines or hydrocarbon crackers. In order to understand their reactions, we deposit a known amount of energy in the radicals by laser excitation and observe the subsequent dynamics by two experimental methods, a) picosecond time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and b) nanosecond photoionization of hydrogen atoms, the major reaction product in many radical reactions.Recent results for three radicals are summarized and discussed: allyl (C3H5), propargyl (C3H3), and ethyl (C2H5). We report the major reaction products, the pathways leading to these products, their rates of formation, and translational energy releases.
