TEA-CO2 LASER-DRIVEN SYNTHESIS OF (CF3X)-C-13 (X=BR OR CL)

Methods are described for the preparation of highly enriched CF3Br and CF3Cl with C-13 content of 90% or higher in laboratory-scale quantiti es. These are based on isotope selective, vibrational photochemistry o f CF3Br-Cl-2 and CF3Cl-Br-2 mixtures in two stages using a TEA-CO2 las er. In CF3Br synthesis, C-13 selective dissociation is done in both th e stages through a closed chemical cycle. However, (CF3Cl)-C-13 is obt ained by photochemically burning (CF3Cl)-C-12 in a slightly enriched s ample in the presence of Br-2.