Knowledge Bank

The photochemical products of acetone adsorbed on a NaCl film are determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Monolayer acetone on an annealed NaCl film is first characterized using FTIR spectroscopy and then radiated with UV light form a broad band Xe lamp (75 Watts). Difference spectra (before and after radiation) reveal the photochemical products of which CO and $CH4$ are the major products. Excitation of gas phase acetone with 193 nm light yields only methyl radicals and CO with a quantum yield near unity. The methane produced after excitation is believed to be from surface aligned photoreaction of methyl radical and neighbor acetone molecules.