Isotope effects in the photochemical formation of HHgCH3 and DHgCD3 in nitrogen and methane matrices Original Research Article

By 249 nm irradiation of CH4/N2 or CH4 matrices doped with mercury, HHgCH3 is formed and studied through FTIR spectra. DHgCD3 has been also produced in Hg/CD4/N2 and Hg/CD4. The annealing and temperature effects have been discussed for comparison with previous experiments with molecular H2 instead of CH4. The study of mixed matrices Hg/CH4/CD4/Ar, Hg/CH4/CD4/N2 and Hg/CH4/CD4 has shown a strong isotopic effect, the insertion reaction of Hg(3P)1 is much easier in the CH than in the CD bond.