Formation of excited states and ions in the radiolysis of benzyl alcohol

Abstract

Transient species in benzyl alcohol and solutions of benzyl alcohol were studied by means of the nanosecond pulse radiolysis technique. Neat benzyl alcohol gives a benzyl radical with G = 2.1 which is produced by dissociative electron attachment. In solutions of lithium iodide, I2− with a G = 2.1 is observed; however, the yield of the solvent cation measured by using t-stilbene is only 0.2. It is suggested that a radical BzCH2O resulting from an ion-molecule reaction of the primary solvent cations and solvent molecules is a probable precursor of I2−; therefore G = 2.1 refers to the cation yield. The yield for the excited singlet and triplet states, 0.70 ± 0.10 and 1.10 ± 0.10 were determined using solutes such as 1,1′-binaphthyl, 1,2-benzanthracene, pyrene, naphthalene, and benzophenone. The interplay of ionization and direct excitation in the formation of excited states are discussed.