Dynamics of the reaction of atomic fluorine with azomethane: An IR-chemiluminescence study

Abstract

The infrared chemiluminescence from HF, created by the reaction of fluorine atoms with azomethane, was measured under collision free conditions. The initial vibrational-rotational distribution for HF was determined and compared with that created by other reactions of the F+CH 3X type. The F-azomethane vibrational distribution is N(ν = 1: 2:3:4) = 50:33: 15:2. Since direct reactions having this mass combination typically created strongly inverted vibrational distributions, this result indicates that a long-lived intermediate is probably involved in this reaction. First chemiluminescence studies of the reaction of fluorine atoms with heated (2000 K) azomethane are reported; the HF vibrational distribution shows an inversion. This result is discussed.