THE REACTION OF ISOPROPANOL VAPOR WITH Hg 6 (3P1) ATOMS: PART I. PURE SUBSTRATE

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Abstract
The reaction of isopropanol vapor with Hg 6(3P1) atoms has been investigated under static conditions at 25 °C under continuous and intermittent illumination. The effect of added inert gas and isolation of the 2537 Å Hg resonance line were also studied.The products of the reaction are H2 (0.72), CH3COCH3 (0.25), CO, CH4, C2H6, CH3CHO, and H2O, with the numbers in parentheses representing the quantum yields at zero exposure time. The non-volatile product remaining in the cell was a mixture of C6-glycols, containing 98.6% pinacol, 1.2% 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, and ca. 0.2% or less of 2,5-hexanediol.Under intermittent illumination, the quantum yield of hydrogen production, measured as a function of light period, tL, rose linearly with log tL, and had a constant value of unity for tL < 0.45 msec. A mechanism is proposed involving the primary formation with perfect efficiency of isopropoxy radicals and H atoms.