The Reactions of the Hydroxyl Radical in the Electrodeless Discharge in Water Vapor

Abstract

In a study of the reactions occurring in the electrodeless discharge in water vapor consistently high yields of hydrogen peroxide were obtained. A number of reactions have been studied and by a process of elimination a mechanism for the formation of hydrogen peroxide from hydroxyl has been suggested. In the course of some spectrographic investigations of the electrodeless discharge in water vapor some new bands, with heads at 3564 and 3328A, were observed which are probably due to an ionized hydroxyl. These bands were not present in the uncondensed electrode discharge but appeared in the condensed electrode discharge at low pressures.