Mécanisme de la décomposition photosensibilisée au mercure du méthylvinyléther à 2537 Å
The study of the mercury Hg6(3P1) photosensitized decomposition of methyl vinyl ether has been studied in a static system at substrate pressures from 10 to 800 Torr. The excited precursor proposed has a calculated lifetime of 1.18 × 10−10 s and its decomposition proceeds almost exclusively through the rupture of the O—CH3 bond. A second primary process is the intramolecular formation of ethylene but it accounts only for 2% of the total ether decomposition. The major products are shown to be formed by free radical reactions and the overall reactivity appears to be very similar to that of the olefins. The results obtained with CH3SH added to the system indicate that the primary radicals are formed with a quantum yield close to unity.