15 min:

JARED VARALY AND C. A. BAUMANN, Department of Chemistry, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4626.

We report the results of ultraviolet photolysis of biacetyl-d₆ ((CD₃CO)₂) trapped in solid nitrogen, argon, and krypton. The infrared spectra obtained prior to photolysis are in agreement with the gas phase results obtained by Durig and coworkers . The photoproducts were characterized via infrared spectroscopy. Irradiation at 405 nm results in the production of CO, CD₃CO, and CD₃, which are the photoproducts expected from gas phase biacetyl-h₆ studies at this wavelength . Recombination of the trapped photoproducts leads to the production of other species not observed in the gas phase photolysis, including ketene-d₂ (CD₂CO) and acetaldehyde-d₄ (CD₃CDO). Mechanisms for the production of these and other secondary photoproducts will be discussed.