Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1980, 45, 1910-1919
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19801910

CO2 laser-induced decomposition of methyl iodide sensitized by sulfur hexafluoride

Klaus Dathea, Pavel Engstb, Josef Polac and Milan Horákb

a C. Schorlemmer Technical University Leuna-Merseburg, 42 Merseburg, GDR
b J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 131 48 Prague 2
c Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 165 02 Prague 6- Suchdol

Abstract

Gaseous mixtures of methyl iodide and sulfur hexafluoride yield upon irradiation by a continuous-wave CO2 laser iodine, methane, ethane, ethylene and acetylene - the products of methyl iodide decomposition. The decomposition rate and the mutual ratio of the products is dependent on the delivered irradiation energy, the methyl iodide/sulfur hexafluoride ratio and the energy of the exciting photon. Methyl iodide-d3 in the mixture with SF6 behaves similarly as methyl iodide yielding perdeuterated methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene and iodine.