Pulse radiolysis of ethanol

Abstract

The radiation chemistry of ethanol has been investigated by pulse radiolysis with emphasis on the decay kinetics and yield of the solvated electron, e − EtOH , in neutral and alkaline solution. Computer calculations show that the experimental data are most consistent with a yield G(e − EtOH ) = 1.7 molecules/100 eV, and a pseudo first-order half life for e − EtOH , [Formula: see text] which corresponds to a second-order rate constant k(e − + EtOH) = 7 × 10 3 M −1 s −1 .Rates of reaction of the electron with acetaldehyde and C 6 F 12 have been determined to be 4.0 ± 0.5 × 10 9 and 2.5 ± 0.5 × 10 9 M −1 s −1 , respectively.The empirical square root formula for spur scavenging kinetics[Formula: see text]is obeyed for scavenging of the radiation produced positive ion.