MATRIX ISOLATION STUDIES OF PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTION PATHWAY OF $C_{5}H_{6}$ AND $C_{5}F_{5}$ BY A CORONA DISCHARGE EXCITATION

Abstract

Reactions and intermediates of $C_{5}H_{5}, C_{6}D_{5}, C_{6}F_{6}$ and $C_{12}F_{10}$ after exposure to a corona excited discharge have been studied by the trapping of products into an argon matrix at 14k. Infrared spectroscopy was employed to identify product species; Several were known while assignments for previous unreported species are proposed. Both isomerization and fragmentation reaction products were observed, including the $C_{6}H_{5}$ and $C_{6}D_{5}$ radicals. All of the evidence points to formation of the $C_{6}F_{5}$ radical as the initial product of excitation of $C_{6}F_{5}$. The product distributions show that there is an important difference in the products of corona excitation with those of vacuum UV photochemistry-giving rise to the dissociation products although there are major similarities. The advantages and limitations of the corona excitation as a source for the generation of transient species for matrix spectroscopic study are discussed.