Free Radicals by Mass Spectrometry: Xix. Primary Steps in the Mercury-Photosensitized Decomposition of Formaldehyde

In the Hg 3 P, photosensitized decomposition of formaldehyde, evidence from deuterium labelling shows that 40% of the primary dissociation proceeds by way of an intramolecular elimination of H 2 . The remainder dissociates by formation of H and HCO, or of 2H and CO. A clear distinction between these latter two processes cannot be made under the reaction conditions employed.