Hydrogen from C2H6 photolysis

The mechanism of the butane formation was shown to be the combination of ethyl radicals. The yield of butane is reduced to nearly zero by the addition of NO to the reaction mixture. This observation has been confirmed by Ausloos et and by Akimoto et This ruled out the insertion of either CH3CH or C2H4 as the source of butane, since NO would not be expected to inhibit these reactions. Furthermore, the isotopic content of the butanes formed in the photolysis of C2H6-C2D6 mixtures was found to be d, d, d, dj and a trace of ethyl radicals which combine to form the n-butane arise from the addition of hydrogen and deuterium atoms to ethylene formed in the photolysis. 

The minor products (CO, CH4, C2H6, -C4Hio, I-C4H8, n-CsHn, CH3CHO) of the photolysis of 2-hexanone vapour were formed by the secondary reactions (recombination, disproportionation, hydrogen abstraction and decomposition) of the radicals originating from primary process conversions, the... 

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