The reaction of F atoms with C2H4. Vibrational Spectrum of the C2H4F Intermediate trapped in solid argon

When the products of the reaction between F atoms produced in a microwave discharge and C₂H₄ are frozen in a large excess of argon at 14 K, new infrared absorptions appear which can be assigned to the 2-fluoroethyl radical. Studies of the dependence of the product distribution on the F-atom concentration have confirmed that the stabilization of C₂H₄F₂ plays only a minor role under the sampling conditions typical of these experiments. Isotopic substitution experiments have demonstrated that the steric configuration about the CH bond is randomized as a result of the F-atom reaction. Upon irradiation of the sample with the full light of a medium-pressure mercury arc, absorptions of vinyl fluoride and acetylene and of the acetylene—HF complex grow in intensity, while those of FCD₂CH₂ and of FCH₂CD₂ diminish in intensity and those of FCH₂CH₂ a nd of FCH₂CD₂ are unchanged. The F-atom reactions and photolysis processes which occur in these experiments are discussed, and a tunnelling mechanism is proposed to explain the isotopic selectivity in the 2-fluoroethyl photodecomposition. The vibrational spectrum of FCH₂CH₂ is compared with that derived in a recent ab initio calculation.