Molecular beam study on infrared multiphoton dissociation of octafluorocyclobutane

Unimolecular dissociation dynamics of octafluorocyclobutane has been studied using photofragmentation translational spectroscopy. The product translational energy distribution for the reaction cyclo-C4F8 → 2 C2F4 peaks at 31 kJ/mol with an average of 40 kJ/mol, which amounts to about 30% of the exit channel barrier. The energy partitioning to the relative translation of the products and dynamics of the dissociation have been discussed on the basis of the impulsive models with help of transition state structures calculated using an ab initio molecular orbital method.