Crossed molecular beam study of the

The Cr(a7S3) + O2(X3Σg−) → CrO(X5ΠΩ) + O(3PJ) reaction has been studied with pulsed, crossed, supersonic molecular beams, at relative translational energies varying between 0.3 and 0.6 eV. The Cr(a7S3) reactant and the CrO(X5ΠΩ) product have been probed by laser-induced fluorescence. The reaction exhibits a translational energy threshold at ϵtr ≈ 0.40 eV. The analysis of the CrO internal energy partitioning just above the threshold leads to a reaction endoergicity: Δϵ0 = 0.38 ± 0.09 eV, and to a CrO bond-dissociation energy: D0(CrO) = 4.74 ± 0.09 eV.