PHOTOLYSIS OF ICN IN A CRYOGENIC MATRIX

ICN was deposited at low temperatures in rare-ps matrices and irradiat ed by UV light at energies almost-equal-to 1.5 eV above its gas-phase dissociation limit. A new infrared band, red-shifted by about 120 cm-1 with respect to the CN stretch band of ICN appeared immediately, and reached its maximum amplitude in 1-2 min. The overall conversion of IC N to products was less than 5%. The new band is tentatively assigned t o INC formed by photoisomerization. The low overall yield is due to re -formation of ICN as the nascent INC cools down.