Knowledge Bank

The reaction of F atoms produced in a microwave discharge with oxygen in large excess of argon carrier gas leads to the appearance of very prominent infrared absorptions of $FO2$ and of $F2O2$ in the spectrum of the reaction products trapped at 14 K. The $1550-cm-1$ oxygen absorption is also activated in the initial deposit but diminishes in intensity on exposure of the sample to the Nernst glower background radiation used for the infrared studies. Infrared spectral data for the vibrational fundamentals and for several overtones and combination bands of normal and partially and fully oxygen-18 substituted $F02$ and $F202$ will be presented, and the vibrational assignment of $F_{2}$0$_{2}$ will be discussed. A search for the electronic absorption spectrum of F0$\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">2</mrow>}$, which has been found in these studies to photodissociate upon exposure of the sample to radiation of wavelength shorter than approximately 490 nm, will also be discussed.