Radical yields in irradiated methanol and ethanol. An electron spin resonance and spin trapping method

Abstract

The use of spin trapping to measure the yields of radicals in radiation chemistry is reviewed and its application to electron irradiated methanol and ethanol described. Solutions of nitroso-tert-butane in alcohols were cooled and passed continuously through the ESR spectrometer where they were irradiated with 3-MeV electrons. The relative yields of the alkoxy and hydroxyalkyl radicals were determined by double integration of the ESR spectra of the nitroxides resulting from spin trapping R. + t-BuNO ..-->.. t-BuN(O.)-R. The ratio of hydroxyalkyl to alkoxy radicals was found to be 0.4 for both liquid methanol and ethanol.