The Rules Governing the Formation of Silver Azide Photolysis Products

Irradiation of silver azide at λ = 365 nm (I > 1 × 10¹⁵ quantum cm^?2 s^?1) in a vacuum (1 × 10^?5 Pa) leads to an increase in the rate of photolysis and photoinduced current and the appearance of a new long-wave region of spectral sensitivity. The photolysis products, silver metal and gaseous nitrogen, are formed in a stoichiometric ratio on the surface of silver azide. The rate constants for silver azide photolysis were determined. Measurements of contact potential difference, current—voltage characteristics, photoelectromotive force, and photocurrent showed that AgN₃(A₁)—Ag (photolysis product) microheterogeneous systems were formed in silver azide photolysis. The limiting stage of silver azide photolysis is the diffusion of interstitial silver cations to the (T_nAg_m)⁰ neutral center.