MULTI-PHOTON DECOMPOSITION OF ACETONE-D6

The 9.68 μ multiphoton dissociation of acetone-d6 may be described in terms of the laser-induced decomposition of acetone at 1250 K followed by a chain propagating reaction in which methyl abstracts deuterium from the parent and regenerates methyl. The termination reaction is recombination of methyl to form ethane. Known rate constants predict the ethane/methane product ratio quantitatively with no adjustable parameters over a range of acetone-d6 pressures of 5-28 Torr. The reaction time is very long (> 84 × 10-6 s) relative to the laser pulse time (≈ 10-7 s). © 1979.