Br(2Pj) atom formation dynamics in ultraviolet photodissociation of tert-butyl bromide and iso-butyl bromide.

The photodissociation dynamics of tert-C(4)H(9)Br and iso-C(4)H(9)Br has been studied at 234 and 265 nm using two-dimensional velocity map imaging technique. The translational energy and angular distributions have been analyzed for Br, Br(), and tert-C(4)H(9) radical. The energy distribution of Br atom in the photodissociation of tert-C(4)H(9)Br is found to consist of two Gaussian components. The two components are correlated to two independent reaction paths on the excited potential energy surfaces: (1) the high-energy component from the prompt dissociation along the C-Br stretching mode and (2) the low-energy component from the repulsive mode along the C-Br stretching, coupled with some bending motions. For the energy distribution of Br() atom in the photodissociation of tert-C(4)H(9)Br, a third multiphoton dissociative ionization channel is observed at 265 nm in addition to the two energy components corresponding to channels (1) and (2). The energy distributions of Br and Br() atoms in the photodissociation of iso-C(4)H(9)Br can be fitted using only one Gaussian function indicating a single formation channel. Relative quantum yields for Br((2)P(32)) at 234 and 265 nm in the photodissociation of tert-C(4)H(9)Br are measured to be 0.76 and 0.65, respectively. For iso-C(4)H(9)Br, the measured value is Phi(234 nm)(Br)=0.81. The contribution of bending modes to Br and Br() is much more obvious in the photodissociation of tert-C(4)H(9)Br than in iso-C(4)H(9)Br.