Infrared synthesis of SO3 by homogeneous gas-phase CO2 laser-driven reactions

Abstract

By using a CO₂ laser operated at 10.6μm, a bimolecular reaction was induced in a binary SO₂/O₂ gas mixture, with a sensitizer gas (SF₆) as photo-absorbing species.

The infrared (IR) synthesis of SO₃ was performed in a flowing gas device equipped with a continuous trapping system of the reaction product. Vibrational energy transfer processes presumably should play a specific role in SO₂ excitation and reaction in the presence of SF₆.