A Time Resolved IR Laser Photolysis-Laser Induced Fluorescence Study of the OH/Methanol Reaction

The reaction of hydroxyl radicals (OH and OD) generated by infrared multiphoton dissociation of different isotopomers of methanol were studied in the presence of variable amounts of Ar buffer gas. The disappearance of the OH, or OD, radicals in the presence of the parent methanol was followed by laser induced fluorescence at 310 nm. Comparison of the rate constants obtained from these experiments reveal good agreement with observed isotope effects observed by other authors but suggest that the reactions occurs at higher temperatures than the macroscopic bulk temperature of the sample.