Abstract

The iodine photodissociation/recombination reaction has been one of the most extensively studied condensed phase chemical reactions. Interest in this system initially centered around the cage effect, the process whereby solvent molecules hold the dissociating iodine atoms in close proximity and allow them to recombine geminately. This effect was first discussed in terms of l₂ over fifty years ago by Rabinowitch and Wood.¹ Numerous experiments^2-15 have provided a wealth of information not only on recombination dynamics, but also on solvent-induced predissociation, electronic relaxation, and vibrational relaxation.

© 1987 Optical Society of America