Nascent OH(X2Π) product state distributions from the reaction of O(1D) with ethylene.: A laser-induced fluorescence study

The full characterization of the OH(X2Π, v″=0–3, N″, J″, Λ″) product state distributions for the O(1D)+C2H4→OH+C2H3 reaction was experimentally performed using the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique. Statistical spin–orbit distributions were obtained, while some preference for the formation of the Π(A′) Λ-doublet level was observed. The rovibrational populations obtained suggest that the reaction preferentially evolves via insertion, yielding rovibrationally cold OH through slow decomposition of an alcohol-type collision complex and rovibrationally excited OH by fast decomposition. Moreover, some evidences were found about the implication of an abstraction mechanism, which would produce rotationally cold and highly vibrationally excited OH.