Spatial inhomogeneity effects in photochemical kinetics. Competition between first-order and second-order reactions of a photochemically generated intermediate

Abstract

In a photochemical system in which an intermediate is generated by light absorption and may react either by a pseudo-first-order or by a second-order process, the relative yields of the products of these two reactions may vary appreciably with the concentration of the substrate from which this intermediate is produced. In dealing with this problem of varying rates of light absorption, an approximation may be made which leads to very nearly the correct product yields.