CO2-laser isotope separation of tritium with pentafluoroethane-T (C2TF5)

Isotope separation of tritium by CO₂ laser-induced multiphoton dissociation (MPD) of C₂TF₅ is reported for the first time. The MPD spectrum obtained for C₂TF₅ comprised a broad peak at about 940 cm^–1 where C₂HF₅ was nearly transparent. The unimolecular dissociation of C₂TF₅ was induced with much lower laser fluence than that for CTF₃, another working molecule we proposed for laser isotope separation of tritium. The mechanisms and kinetics of the dissociation of C₂TF₅ and C₂HF₅ were investigated under various experimental conditions: laser frequency, pulse energy, pulse duration, tritium concentration, sample pressure, buffer gas pressure and irradiation geometry. Single-step separation factors exceeding 500 were achieved with the most efficientP(20) line in 00^o–10^o0 transition at 944.2 cm^–1.