Vacuum ultraviolet as a source for producing intermediates in solid organic matrices

The first application of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) lamps to study the intermediates in polycrystalline (n-hexane and acetone) and glassy (methylcyclohexane and aliphatic alcohols) matrices at 77 K is described. The measurements were performed using EPR and RTL techniques. In glassy, VUV-irradiated alcohols alkoxy radicals together with hydroxyalkyl radicals were formed. Methanol and ethanol were not ionized with VUV quanta of 10.195 eV energy, but in n-propanol and n-butanol ionic intermediates were observed. The decrease of ionization potential for pure glassy alcohols as compared with gaseous phase has been estimated as at least 0.3 eV. Similar value has been found for polycrystalline n-hexane. (author)