Intramolecular hydrogen transfer in the o-tolyl radical studied by time resolved absorption measurements

Abstract
The intramolecular hydrogen transfer rate of o‐tolyl radicals has been examined by monitoring the absorption time profile of benzyl radicals formed in the picosecond 266 nm laser photolysis of o‐chlorotoluene. The rise time of the benzyl radical absorption, 6.5 ns, was attributed mostly to the rearrangement rate of o‐tolyl radicals to benzyl radicals.