Photodissociation of 3-bromo-1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanol at 193 nm: laser-induced fluorescence detection of OH(nu'' = 0, J'').

Photodissociation of 3-bromo-1,1,1-trifluoro-2-propanol (BTFP) has been investigated at 193 nm, employing the laser photolysis laser-induced fluorescence technique. The nascent OH product was detected state selectively, and the energy released into translation, rotation, and vibration of the photoproducts has been measured. OH is produced mostly vibrationally cold, with a moderate rotational excitation, which is characterized by a rotational temperature of 640 +/- 140 K. However, an appreciable amount of the available energy of 36.1 kcal mol(-1) is released into translation of OH (15.1 kcal mol(-1)). OH product has no preference for a specific spin-orbit state, Pi(3/2) or Pi(1/2). However, between two Lambda-doublet states, Pi(+) and Pi(-), the OH product has a preference for the former by a factor of 2. A mechanism of OH formation from BTFP on excitation at 193 nm is proposed, which involves first the direct C-Br bond dissociation from a repulsive state (n(Br)sigma*(C-Br)) as a primary process. The primary product, F(3)C-CH(OH)-CH(2), with sufficient internal energy undergoes spontaneous C-OH bond dissociation, through a loose transition state. The formation rate of OH is calculated to be 5.8 x 10(6) s(-1) using Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus unimolecular rate theory. Experimental results have been supported by theoretical calculations, and energies of various low-energy dissociation channels of the primary product, F(3)C-CH(OH)-CH(2), have been calculated.