Generation and time decay of gas phase oxygen fluoride radicals

Abstract

The radical molecule 02F has been shown to be a useful reagent in the chemical production of a number of electronically excited species.1"3 In each of these experiments, 02F radicals were generated from the thermal decomposition of solid 02+AsF6". The presence of gaseous 02F downstream of the decomposing solid was inferred from the strong absorption by the radical of light in the vicinity of 210 nm.2 We have obtained additional support for this inference by measurement of the UV absorption spectrum of the gaseous decomposition products of the 02+AsF6" salt. Using these absorption techniques, we also