The Gas Phase Photolysis of Hexafluoroacetone in the Presence of Diborane

Abstract

The photolysis of hexafluoroacetone with 3130 Å light in the presence of diborane has been investigated. Major products are CO, H2, CF3H, and C2F6, but all of the fluoroform is produced by secondary H‐atom abstraction from products of the photolysis, possibly an addition product formed at the walls between CF3 and BH2. A reaction mechanism is presented involving deactivation of the excited singlet and triplet states of the hexafluoroacetone molecule with simultaneous photosensitized diborane dissociation as the primary source of molecular hydrogen.