Site specificity in molecular hydrogen elimination from photodissociation of propane at 157 nm

Site effects on the molecular hydrogen elimination from propane at 157 nm excitation have been studied using the photofragment translational spectroscopic technique. Experimental results indicate that $H2$ elimination from the internal carbon of propane (2,2-elimination) is predominant while eliminations from the terminal carbon (1,1- and 1,3-elimination) and the vicinal carbons (1,2-elimination) are minor. The translational energy distributions obtained for these processes also show that the dynamics of $H2$ eliminations from different sites are significantly different. Relative branching ratios of the atomic hydrogen (H) and the molecular hydrogen $(H2)$ elimination processes were also determined.