Electron Affinities from Thermal Proton-Transfer Reactions: C₆H₅ and C₆H₅CH₂

The observation of the preferred direction of proton transfer reactions in the gas phase at 300 °K has been employed to bracket the electron affinity, e.a., of the radicals C 6 H 5 and C 6 H 5 CH 2 using well-established values for electron affinities and bond energies. The results indicate that 1.2 eV ≤ e.a.(C 6 H 5 ) ≤ 1.6 eV and that 0.4 eV ≤ e.a.(C 6 H 5 CH 2 ) ≤ 0.9 eV.