FLASH PHOTOLYSIS OF <i>N</i>‐ACETYL‐L‐TRYPTOPHANAMIDE: ANALYSIS OF TRANSIENTS EMPLOYING VIDICON TUBE DETECTION*

Abstract

Abstract— An improved method for recording transient absorption spectra obtained by flash photolysis is described. The detection system, comprising a vidicon tube coupled to a multichannel analyzer, is shown to permit the rapid acquisition of accurate and precise spectra spanning any 360 nm interval within the 200 to 1100 nm wavelength range. The successful dissection of the complex spectrum obtained when N ‐acetyl‐L‐tryptophanamide is flashed under nitrogen‐saturated conditions is utilized to highlight the capabilities of the detection system. This analysis suggests that the observed radicals must originate, in part, from an oxygen sensitive long‐lived precursor which is not the triplet state.