The photolysis of carbon suboxide in the presence of olefins
Abstract
The relative rates of formation of allenes and acetylenes during the photolysis of carbon suboxide in the presence of olefins have been measured. The reactive intermediate is a :CCO biradical that is in the singlet state when the actinic light is below 2800 Å and in the triplet state above 3000 Å. The singlet biradical is 2·5 times as reactive with olefins as the triplet relative to its rate of reaction with the suboxide.