On the absence of triplet ketene in ketene excited in the region 2800–3660 Å

Abstract

The sensitized biacetyl emission technique was used in an attempt to detect triplet ketene molecules, which might be formed when ketene is excited by light ranging in wavelength from 2800 to 3600 Å. No sensitized emission was observed in this exciting wavelength region thus confirming the recent results of Voisey (1) which also show that triplet ketene is not produced when ketene is excited by light between 2800 and 3200 Å, and that the triplet CH2 found in such systems must arise from some source other than triplet ketene.