Mechanisms of pyrolysis of organometallic deposition precursors

Abstract

The gas-phase pyrolysis mechanisms of a number of potential transition-metal deposition precursors have been investigated using the techniques of: (i) infrared laser powered homogeneous pyrolysis coupled with product identification by FTIR, NMR and GC-MS; (ii) stirred Flow Reactor kinetic measurements; (iii) EPR spectroscopy of matrix-isolated free radicals. Preliminary results are presented for: (a) MeMn(CO)₅ and AcMn(CO)₅, both alone and in the presence of Me₃SiH; (b) C₅H₅Mn(CO)₃ and MeC₅H₄Mn(CO)₃; (c) C₄H₆Fe(CO)₃; and (d)(C₅H₅)₂Fe, all of which provide clear evidence that purely homogeneous pathways can be very different from those of surface-catalysed decomposition.