Abstract: | Thermal decomposition of 4-diazo-2,6-di-tert-butyl-2, 5-cyclohexadien-1-one in perhalogenated solvents has been investigated. The decomposition reaction proceeds via a carbene intermediate first to a singlet and then to an effectively triplet free encounter radical pair formed in a halogen abstraction reaction. The polarisation of the stable reaction product is determined by competing processes in the primary cage, intersystem crossing and escape from the cage. |