Product-resolved photodissociations of iodotoluene radical cations

Abstract

Photodissociations of o-, m-, and p-iodotoluene radical cations were investigated by using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) spectrometry. Iodotoluene radical cations were prepared in an ICR cell by a photoionization charge-transfer method. The time-resolved one-photon dissociation spectra were obtained at 532 nm and the identities of C7H7+ products were determined by examining their bimolecular reactivities toward toluene-d(8). The two-photon dissociation spectra were also recorded in the wavelength range 615-670 nm. The laser power dependence, the temporal variation, and the identities of C7H7+ were examined at 640 nm. The mechanism of unimolecular dissociation of iodotoluene radical cations is elucidated: the lowest barrier rearrangement channel leads exclusively to the formation of the benzylcation, whereas the direct C-I cleavage channel yields the tolyl cations that rearrange to both benzyl and tropylium cations with dissimilar branching ratios among o-, m-, and p-isomers. With a two-photon energy of 3.87 eV at 640 nm, the direct C-I cleavage channel results in the product branching ratio, [tropylium cation]/[benzyl cation], in descending order, 0.16 for meta > 0.09 for ortho > 0.05 for para.