Role of scavengers in gas-phase recoil tritium reactions

Abstract

The effect of various scavengers upon the distribution of labelled products from the reaction of recoil tritium atoms with gaseous hydrocarbons is discussed. In particular, it is shown that different yields of labelled alkyl halides produced in the presence of bromine or iodine and that oxygen markedly affects the amount of ethylene-t formed from ethane. A reaction scheme involving a triplet state C₂H₅T molecule is postulated to explain the latter observation. It is concluded that the role of scavengers in hot atom reactions is more involved than has been assumed up to now.