Laser photolysis of liquid hexafluorobenzene: graphitic and fluorine-containing carbon formation at ambient temperature

Abstract

ArF laser photolysis of liquid hexafluorobenzene affords a number of aromatic fluorocarbons, graphitic carbon and a fluorine containing polymeric C/F material. The preponderance of decafluorobiphenyl among the perfluoroaromatic products reveals the importance of the pentafluorophenyl radical combinations in the initial stages of photolysis. The C/F material is judged to arise from polymerization of fluoroalkyne transients. The graphite formation represents a unique mode of photolytic liquid-phase graphitization of perfluoroaromatic compounds.