화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Physical Chemistry A, Vol.117, No.39, 9548-9554, 2013
Multipass Millimeter/Submillimeter Spectrometer to Probe Dissociative Reaction Dynamics
We present here the instrument design and first experimental results from a multipass millimeter/submillimeter spectrometer designed to probe dissociative reaction dynamics. This work focuses on benchmarking the instrument performance through detection of the CH3O and H2CO products from methanol dissociation induced by a high-voltage plasma discharge. Multiple rotational lines from CH3O and H2CO were observed when this plasma discharge was applied to a sample of methanol vapor seeded in an argon supersonic expansion. The rotational temperature of the dissociation products and their abundance with respect to methanol were determined using a Boltzmann analysis. The minimum detectable absorption coefficient for this instrument was determined to be alpha(min) <= 5 X 10(-9) cm(-1). We discuss these results in the context of future applications of this instrument to the study of photodissociation branching ratios for small organic molecules that are important in complex interstellar chemistry.