The Photolysis of Methylamine

Abstract

The photolysis of methylamine has been shown to proceed essentially by two consecutive first‐order reactions, the first to produce hydrogen, ammonia, and CH₂ : NCH₃; the second a dehydrogenation of the latter at a rate approximately double the first. A mechanism involving hydrogen atoms has been postulated. These have been shown experimentally to be present and also have been shown by discharge‐tube experiments to react with methylamine.