Radiolysis of methanol vapour

Authors: J. H. Baxendale, R.D. Sedgwick

The yields of hydrogen, formaldehyde, ethylene glycol, methane and carbon monoxide from the radiolysis of methanol vapour have been measured and also those of H2 and HD from CH3OD. These have been correlated with the ions observed in the mass spectra. Benzene decreases the yields of hydrogen and formaldehyde and the effect is attributed partly to the scavenging of hydrogen atoms and partly to deactivation of an excited state of methanol which is produced by ion neutralization. The yields from the xenon-sentisized radiolysis of methanol are reasonably consistent with the assumption of charge transfer from Xe+ to methanol. Recent work has shown that in a few cases the radiolysis of gases can be accounted for fairly satisfactorily in terms of the ions produced and their reactions with molecules as observed in mass-spectrometer conditions, together with reasonable assumptions about the ultimate neutralization processes. We have made a similar comparison for methanol vapour where it is to be expected from the results of the liquid radiolysis that the products would be simple and readily determined.

https://doi.org/10.1039/TF9615702157