Radiolysis of Cyclohexane. I. Pure Liquid Cyclohexane and Cyclohexane-Benzene Solutions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The radiation chemistry of pure liquid cyclohexane and of cyclohexane‐benzene solutions has been investigated. The cyclohexane radiolysis system appears to contain at least two distinct activated species, one of which (c‐C6H12″) is subject to ``protection'' by benzene while the other (c‐C6H12′) is not. The approximate yields of these two species, determined by kinetic analysis, are G(c‐C6H12″) = 3.0±0.4 and G(c‐C6H12′) = 2.5∓0.4. In addition to the usual products, cyclohexylcyclohexadiene and dicyclohexadiene have been measured in the cyclohexane‐benzene system. A mechanism has been proposed to explain the formation of the major products and the variation of their yields with benzene concentration. A limiting case calculation for the upper limit of the rate constant for energy transfer between molecules in the present system (1013—1014 liters mole/sec) agrees well with a similar calculation, recorded in the literature, for energy transfer in organic solution scintillators. Another limiting case calculation shows that the rate constant for energy transfer might also be considerably smaller than the above value.