The Reaction of Singlet Methylene with Methane

Cyclopropane in an excess of methane was photolyzed at 1470 and 1634 Å. The decomposition rate constants of the resultant vibrationally excited ethane into methyl radicals were found to be 6.0×109 s−1 and 5.0×109 s−1 at 1470 and 1634 Å respectively. The following procedure was used in treating the results obtained in our and the other researchers’ systems. The statistical calculation was made to estimate the internal energy of singlet methylene, εi which is initially acquired in the primary decomposition process. The RRKM theory was then used to estimate the internal energy of the excited ethane. According to these calculations, the fraction of excess photon energy carried into ethane decreases as the energy, εi increases.