Experimental observations of D fragments from the predissociation of rovibrationally excited partially deuterated 2-hydroxyethyl radicals, CD(2)CD(2)OH, are reported, and possible dissociation channels are analyzed by theory. The radicals are produced by photolysis of 2-bromoethanol at 202-215 nm, and some of them have sufficient internal energy to predissociate. D fragments are detected by 1 + 1' REMPI and their TOF distributions are determined. They can be associated with vinyl alcohol and/or acetaldehyde cofragments. From analysis of the maximum velocities and kinetic energies of the observed D fragments it is concluded that they originate from the decomposition of CD(2)CD(2)OH, but the experimental resolution is insufficient to distinguish between the two possible channels leading to D products. Theoretical analysis and RRKM calculations of microcanonical dissociation rates and branching ratios for the range of available excess energies (up to 5000-8000 cm(-1) above the OH + C(2)D(4) threshold) indicate that the D-producing channels are minor (about 1%) compared to the predominant OH + C(2)D(4) channel, and the branching ratio for D production is more favorable when the reactant radicals have low rotational energy. The vinyl alcohol channel is strongly favored over the acetaldehyde channel at all excess energies, except near the threshold of these channels.

The electronic spectroscopy and photodissociation dynamics of the CH3CHOH radical in the region 19,400-37,000 cm(-1) (515-270 nm) were studied in a molecular beam using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), photofragment yield spectroscopy, and time-of-flight (TOF) spectra of H and D fragments. The onset of the transition to the Rydberg 3s state, the lowest excited state, is estimated at 19,600 +/- 100 cm(-1). The 3s state dissociates fast, and no REMPI spectrum is observed. The origin band of the transition to the 3pz state, identified by 2 + 2 REMPI, lies at 32,360 +/- 70 cm(-1), and a vibrational progression in the C-O stretch is assigned. When exciting CH3CHOH near the onset of the unstructured absorption to the 3s state, only one peak is observed in the center-of-mass (c.m.) translational energy (Et) distribution obtained by monitoring H photofragments. The measured recoil anisotropy parameter beta = -0.7 +/- 0.1 is typical of a perpendicular transition. The O-H bond energy is determined to be D0 = 1.1 eV +/- 0.1 eV. At excitation energies >31,200 cm(-1) (3.87 eV) a second, low Et peak appears in the c.m. Et distribution with beta approximately 0. Its relative intensity increases with excitation energy, but its beta value does not change. In contrast, the beta value of the higher Et peak becomes monotonically less negative at higher excitation energies, decreasing to -0.2 +/- 0.1 at 35,460 cm(-1). By comparison of the TOF distributions of the isotopologs CH3CHOH, CH3CHOD, and CD3CHOH, it is concluded that two major product channels dominate the photodissociation, one leading to acetaldehyde and the other to vinyl alcohol (enol) products. There is no indication of isomerization to ethoxy. It appears that separate conical intersections lead to the observed channels, and the dynamics at the conical intersection and the exit channel deposit much of the available energy into internal energy of the products.

4-(1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclotetradec-1-yl)methylbenzoic acid (cycmba, 1) has been synthesized, as a step towards the eventual development of sequence-specific hydrolytic complexes. A cobalt(III) complex of 1, [Co(cycmba)Cl2]Cl.1.5H2O (.1.5H2O) was found to be active against both an activated phosphodiester compound, bis(nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP), and supercoiled DNA. The presence of the benzoate group depresses the rate of hydrolysis of the ligand-Co(III) system at neutral pH, as confirmed by the kinetics results of a methyl ester analog. The ability of (2.1.5H2O) to bind to solid substrates and remain active was also demonstrated by attachment of the molecule to agarose beads.