Photolysis of aromatic aldehydes

Abstract

The photolysis of benzaldehyde and pentafluorobenzaldehyde have been carried out in the gas phase using the light from a medium-pressure mercury-vapour lamp. The major reaction proceeded to the formation of a yellowish polymer. The only identifiable products were pentafluorobenzene and carbon monoxide with pentafluorobenzaldehyde and benzene and carbon monoxide with benzaldehyde. A mechanism is postulated to explain the formation of these products and the variation in their rate of formation with experimental parameters.