Depletion kinetics of ground state FeO molecules by O-2, N2O, and N-2

Depletion kinetics of ground state FeO molecules by O-2, N2O and N-2 has be en studied at room temperature. The ground state FeO molecules were generat ed by photolysis of a Fe(CO)(5)/M(O-2, N2O)/He mixture using an unfocused w eak UV laser beam. The formation of ground state FeO molecules was identifi ed by a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method. The intensity distribution of those undisturbed rotational lines suggests that the rotational tempera ture of the ground state FeO molecules is lower than room temperature. The LIF intensities of FeO molecules at different partial pressures of O-2, N2O and N-2 were monitored as a function of the time delay between the photoly sis and probe laser pulses to obtain the depletion rate constants for the g round state FeO. They were 1.7 +/- 0.2 x 10(-12), 4.8 +/- 0.4 x 10(-12), an d 1.4 +/-0.2 x 10(-12) cm(3)molecule(-1)s(-1) by O-2, N2O, and N-2, respect ively.