The Liquid Phase Photolysis of Diethyl Ketone and Methyl Ethyl Ketone

The liquid phase photolysis of diethyl ketone has been studied in the temperature range from −35° to 95 °C. The CO quantum yield at 95 °C. was found to be close to unity. At 28 °C. decrease in intensity and addition of heptane led to a substantial increase of the CO and the ethane yields.The methyl ethyl ketone liquid phase photolysis at temperatures between 5° and 75 °C. led to the same observations. Arrhenius plots of R E /R B 1/2 [K] gave for both compounds a value of 5 kcal./mole.Gas phase studies in the temperature range of 0° to 60 °C. confirmed the low CO quantum yield reported previously and showed evidence for disproportionation and recombination reactions between ethyl and propionyl radicals.