Abstract

Lasers have been extensively used in recent years to induce gas-surface photochemistry. There exist, however, relatively few mechanistic studies on well characterized surfaces involving electronic excitation of adsorbed molecules. We have recently investigated the electronic excitation effect of CH₂I₂ molecules adsorbed on a sapphire crystal and silver surfaces with a XeCl laser. The molecule is chosen because it is readily activated by the 308 nm light pulses into its first and antibonding state. The excited molecules can dissociate into CH₂I radicals and I atoms with a unit quantum yield in the gas phase.

© 1987 Optical Society of America