Addition reactions of translationally hot fluorine atoms as a probe of long-range migration in crystalline argon: F+CO

Reactions of F atoms were studied in freestanding crystals (FSC) of argon doped with F2 and CO. Laser photolysis of the F2 at 355 nm produces stabilized FCO radicals by addition of translationally excited F atoms to isolated CO molecules. The yield of FCO in FSC is more than ten times higher than observed previously in F2:CO:Ar matrices prepared by vapor deposition. The difference is attributed to a mean migration length for translationally hot F atoms of at least 8 nm in FSC compared with ∼0.7 nm in vapor-deposited argon matrices, which have a high density of lattice defects.