Photofragmentation of CF3I+ produced by resonant multiphoton ionization

Abstract

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been used to examine the spatial anisotropy and translational energy of I+ and CF3+ fragments resulting from resonant multiphoton excitation of CF3I in the 300–306 nm range. These ion species are shown to be largely the photofragments from the single-photon direct dissociation of CF3I+ generated via a new resonant (2+1) multiphoton ionization (MPI) transition. Photoelectron spectroscopy shows that most of the parent CF3I+ is produced in its ground X̃ 2E3/2 state by the resonant MPI process. All the observed I+ is formed via this parent ion photodissociation, while the observed CF3+ is formed via statistical decomposition of the parent as well as parent ion photodissociation. The present results are discussed in the context of the current understanding of alkyl halide photodynamics.