CO2 laser photosensitized dehydrobromination of bromoethane and 1-bromopropane. A hot-tube radical-chain reaction with molecular mechanism

Abstract

Contrary to the gas-phase hot-tube reaction taking place by a blend of a molecular and radical-chain mechanism, the cw CO2 laser induced dehydrobromination of bromoethane and 1-bromopropane occurs by only a molecular mechanism which is substantiated with reaction rates and products in the absence and the presence of radical-chain inhibitor (propene) and in the presence of chloroethane. The results point out the importance of hot walls for the initiation of radical-chain dehydrobromination.