A crossed molecular beams investigation of the reactions O(3P)+ C6H6, C6D6

Abstract

A crossed beams investigation of the reactions of O(³P)+C₆H₆, C₆D₆ has beeen carried out using a seeded, supersonic, atomic oxygen nozzle beam source. Angular and velocity distributions of reaction products have been used to identify the major reaction pathways. The initially formed triplet biradical, C₆H₆O (C₆D₆O), either decays by hydrogen (deuterium) elimination or becomes stabilized, most likely by nonradiative transition to the S₀ manifold of ground state phenol. CO elimination was not found to be a major channel. The branching ratio between H(D) atom elimination and stabilization was found to be sensitive to both collision energy and isotopic substitution.