Photolysis of Liquid Water at 1470 Å

The photolysis of water and of dilute aqueous solutions of O2, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol was studied at 1470 Å. The results are consistent with the reaction scheme[Complex chemical formula]The limiting quantum yield for the formation of the geminate radical pair φ=0.7±0.1 at room temperature. Scavengers compete in an inhomogeneous kinetics with geminate recombination. The direct formation of molecular products other than by radical mechanisms is excluded. Results on D2O solutions of ethanol support the conclusions. The evidence does not favor direct interaction of scavengers with the excited water molecules H2O‡.