REACTION OF HALOGENS WITH LASER-ABLATED BORON - INFRARED-SPECTRA OF BXN (X = F, CL, BR, I N = 1, 2, 3) IN SOLID ARGON

BX(n) (X = F, Cl, Br, I; n = 1, 2, 3) species were produced by the reaction of laser-ablated atomic boron with F2, Cl2, Br2, and I2, trapped in solid argon at 12 +/- 1 K, and characterized by infrared absorption spectroscopy. The relative band intensities observed for BX, BX2, and BX3 Species depended on the method of production. Enclosing the boron target inside a tube and codepositing boron atoms with halogen molecules enhanced the primary reaction products BX and BX2, whereas passing the halogen through the tube and coaxially mixing with atomic boron promoted the final reaction product BX3. Very low laser power favored the BX and BX2 radicals over the BX3 molecules. These studies provide further chemical evidence for the intermediate BX2 radicals.