Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications - digital archive 

Abstract

The continuous-wave CO₂ laser induced gas-phase decomposition of trifluoroacetic, pentafluoropropionic and heptafluorobutyric anhydride, sensitized by sulfur hexafluoride was studied in order to determine the course of the reactions in the absence of wall effects. The decompositions of all the compounds are assumed to involve cleavage of parent compound into acyl fluoride F(CF₂)_nCOF and ^.(CF₂)_nCO₂^. biradical, the latter undergoing decay into CO and F(CF₂)_n-1COF compounds. The theoretical treatment of the biradical by MNDO calculations as well as trapping with ethene are presented.