Knowledge Bank

Although HF chemiluminescence has been reported in gas-phase studies of the $F+CH3CN$ reaction the spectrum of the $CH2CN$ free radical has not been identified, and the extent to which competing F-atom addition reactions occur has not been assessed. When the products of this reaction are trapped in solid argon at 14 K, a rich infrared spectrum is obtained, with evidence for the occurrence of both H-atom abstraction and F-atom addition. The results of detailed concentration dependence and isotopic substitution studies will be presented, and vibrational assignments for such products as $CH2CN$ and $CH3CFCN$ will be discussed.