ArF laser photodissociation dynamics of furfuryl alcohol: LIF observation of OH state distribution

The dynamics of furfuryl alcohol (FURFUROL) photodissociation at 193 run is reported, using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) of the nascent OH radical and RRKM theory. The nascent OH fragments are probed by LIF under collisionless conditions, to determine the initial product state distributions. There is no significant population (<2%) in excited vibrational levels of OH (X(2)Pi). However, the initial rotational state distribution is Boltzmann-like, characterized by a single rotational temperature T-rot of 780 +/- 40 K. The average relative translational energy of the photofragments is determined to be 26 +/- 4 kJ mol(-1). The measured rate constant for the FURFUROL dissociation vis-a-vis statistical RRKM theory, suggests a threshold dissociation energy of 357 +/- 20 kJ mol(-1). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.