Chemical reactivity of two-photon excited trimethylsilylacetylene in aerosol particle formation with acrolein

Under irradiation with N₂ laser light, a gaseous mixture of trimethylsilylacetylene (ethynyltrimethylsilane) (TMeSiA) and acrolein (AC) produced sedimentary aerosol particles with a mean diameter of 1.0 μm. Nucleation process of the aerosol particles was studied by measuring monitor (He–Ne laser) light intensity scattered by the aerosol particles as formed under N₂ laser light irradiation. With increasing partial pressure of TMeSiA, the nucleation reaction of aerosol particles was accelerated due to additional generation of reactive species from TMeSiA molecules by a two-photon process. FT-IR spectra of the sedimentary particles showed that TMeSiA molecules were incorporated into polymerization reaction of AC by forming –Si–O–C– bond from R(CH₃)₂Si radicals. Two-photon processes of both AC and TMeSiA molecules under N₂ laser light irradiation were briefly discussed.