The 2P1/2←2P3/2 transition of the iodine atom photoproduced from alkyl iodides in solid parahydrogen: detection of new absorptions

Alkyl iodides were photolyzed in solid parahydrogen at about 5 K. The first photolysis with 253.7 nm photons yielded two products by reactions, RI+hν (253.7 nm)→Rfree+Ifree and (R–I), the latter being a complex between the radical R and the iodine atom I. Subsequent photolysis with 193 nm photons activated the radical moiety in both products to induce a reaction, R+H2+hν (193 nm)→RH+H, which gave the products RHfree and (RH–I). The radical R and the alkane RH were characterized by the mid-IR absorption while the iodine atoms in Ifree, and (R–I) and (RH–I) were identified by the near IR absorption of the magnetic dipole transition of the atom.