INFRARED MULTIPHOTON DISSOCIATION OF ANISOLE - PRODUCTION AND DISSOCIATION OF PHENOXY RADICAL

The infrared multiphoton dissociation of anisole in a molecular beam was studied using pulsed CO2 laser radiation, with the product recoil energy distributions measured using the time-of-flight technique. The only primary process identified was the dissociation into phenoxy and methyl radicals, with the shape of the translational energy distribution of the products revealing a small exit barrier. Under conditions of higher laser fluence, secondary dissociation of the phenoxy radical into carbon monoxide and C5H5 was observed.