Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications - digital archive 

Abstract

CW-CO₂ laser-induced and SF₆-sensitized decomposition of trifluoroacetic acid affords reaction products different from those yielded by a conventional heating and offers a new way for decomposition of this compound. The kinetics of the laser-induced reaction is also different, being of a second order and of a first order in SF₆. The reaction scheme proposed for the laser-induced process shows ^.CF₂CO₂^. biradical to be mainly decomposed to carbon monoxide and carbonyl fluoride and implies that the fate of this species during conventional thermal decomposition is controlled by heterogeneous surface reaction.