Studies of chemiluminescence in boron atom reactions with O2, SO2, N2O, NO2, and H2O2

Abstract

Chemiluminescence has been observed in the single collision reaction of boron atoms with O₂, SO₂, N₂O, NO₂, and H₂O₂. The experiments were performed in a beam‐gas apparatus using photon counting to detect the optical signals. The electronically excited A ²π state of BO was observed in all the reactions. In addition, the BO₂(A ²π_u) state was observed in the reaction of boron with SO₂. Cross sections for the production of electronically excited molecules were determined. These cross sections for the reactions with O₂, SO₂, N₂O, NO₂, and H₂O₂ are, respectively, 0.048, 0.0078, 0.01, 0.023, and 0.005 Ų. In the reactions of boron with SO₂ the branching ratio was obtained for the two observed chemiluminescent reaction channels. The vibrational distributions in the electronically excited state of BO were determined in the reactions where the spectra were adequately resolved. Some implications of the results are discussed.