Mass spectrometric and IR spectroscopic study of the perfluorobenzyl radical

1.Perfluorobenzyl radical generated by vacuum pyrolysis of perfluorobenzyl iodide was identified for the first time by mass spectrometry and matrix IR spectroscopy. The ionization potential of this radical was found to be 7.72 eV, and its IR spectrum in an argon matrix was recorded at 12 K.2.Assignment of the IR bands of the radical to normal vibrations was proposed. The shifts in stretching vibration frequencies of the exocyclic C-C bond and in the benzene ring of the radical relative to perfluorotoluene was ascribed to delocalization of electron density in the benzyl system.