Application of multistep deactivation processes in the interpretation of intermodular energy transfer following chemical activation by kinetic techniques
Interpretation of vibrational energy transfer following kinetically controlled chemical activation is refined by incorporating multistep deactivation processes into the RRKM treatment of the excited molecule. The functional form of the initial primary product energy distribution used is based on that suggested by Bunker. This model is applied in interpreting collisional energy transfer from cyclobutane-t, chemically activated by nuclear recoil reaction. New low pressure experimental data are used to estimate the average energy of the nascent cyclobutane-t and the average step sizes for energy transfer to He, N2, CO2, and parent on collision based on a stepladder deactivation model. Step sizes found for cyclobutane, He, N2, and CO2 are 10.0, 0.5, 2.0, and 5.0 kcal, respectively. © 1979 American Chemical Society.