Continuous wave carbon dioxide laser-driven oxidation of tetrafluoroethene with molecular oxygen

Abstract

Wall-less conditions of continuous wave CO₂ laser photosensitized (SF₆) oxidation of tetrafluoroethene with molecular O₂(³Σ) reveal quite different features for this reaction compared with oxidation conducted in hot wall reactors. The laser-driven oxidation is accompanied by chemiluminescence and is suggested to proceed via an intermediate dioxetane to yield solely carbonyl fluoride. At higher pressures reaction occurs as an explosion with a lower pressure limit significantly different from that for hot-tube reactions and affords COF₂, CF₄, SOF₂, and CO.