Reaction of Cr Atoms with O₂ at Low Pressures: Observation of New Chemiluminescence Bands from CrO₂^*

Ground and low-lying electronic states of Cr atoms in the gas phase were generated from photolysis of $Cr(CO)_6$ vapor in He or Ar using an unfocussed weak UV laser pulse and their reactions with $O_2$ and $N_2O$ were studied. When 0.5-1.0 Torr of $Cr(CO)_6$ /$O_2$ /He or Ar mixtures were photolyzed using 295-300 nm laser pulses, broadband chemiluminescence peaked at ~420 and ~500 nm, respectively, was observed in addition to the atomic emissions from $z^7P^{\circ}$, $z^5P^{\circ}$, and $y^7P^{\circ}$ states of Cr atoms. When $N_2O$ was used instead of $O_2$, no chemiluminescence was observed. The chemiluminescence intensities as well as the LIF intensities for those three low-lying electronic states ($a^7S_3,\;a^5S_2\;and\;a^5D_J$) showed second-order dependence on the photolysis laser power. Also, the chemiluminescence intensities were first-order in $O_2$ pressure, but the presence of excess Ar showed a strong inhibition effect on them. Based on the experimental results, the chemiluminecent species in this work is attributed to $CrO_2^*$ generated from hot ground state Cr atoms with $O_2$. The apparent radiative lifetimes of the chemiluminescent species and collisional quenching rate constants by $O_2$ and Ar also were investigated.