Laser flash photolysis of iodine-iodide mixture in hydroxylic solvent. Evidence for the existence of the radical anion I

The laser flash photolysis of iodine-iodide mixtures in alcoholic solvents produces transient species absorbing in the red and near infrared region with maxima at 740 and 590 nm. The 740 nm absorption band has already been attributed to the well known I

ion. In this work the 590 nm absorption band is assigned to the I

radical anion which presumably could be formed by the equilibrium reaction: I

+ I₃^- ? I

. The variations of the intensities of the 590 and 740 nm transient absorption bands as a function of I₃^? concentration, temperature and solvent, support this assignment. The kinetics of formation of I

and I

has been studied in solutions of tertiary butanol. An analysis of the experimental results shows that the I

ion could be formed via a mechanism involving an I

intermediate.