Evidence of Molecular Rearrangement in Benzyl-type Radicals

Searching for new molecular radicals which are believed to play an important role as reaction intermediates in aromatic chain reactions, we have applied the technique of corona excited supersonic expansion employing a pinhole-type glass nozzle to obtain the vibronic spectrum from the corona discharge of precursor 3,5-difluorotoluene with a large amount of inert carrier gas helium. An analysis of the observed spectrum revealed that many vibronic bands are from other isomeric difluorobenzyl radicals generated in the jet by migration of the fluorine atom or methylene group to the adjacent position in the 3,5-difluorobenzyl radical. A possible mechanism was proposed for the formation of other isomers by using a bridged cyclic intermediate structure.