Dissociation characteristics of bromoethane under external electric fields

Bromoethane dissociates and generates the bromine radical under the radiation from the sun, which destroys the atmospheric ozone layer. So, it is necessary to take effective measures to degrade bromoethane. We use the density function theory (DFT) and calculate the dissociation properties and spectral characteristics of bromoethane under the external electric fields (0-0.028 5 a.u.) at the B3LYP/6-31G+(d, p) level. It is showed that the total energy of the molecule decreases as the external field increases from 0 a.u. to 0.028 5 a.u. along the Z-axis. Meanwhile, the energy gap decreases monotonically and the dipole moment increases. It is shown in the potential energy curves that the electric field of 0.030 a.u. is strong enough to break the C-Br bond. The results provide important information for the degradation of bromoethane under external electric fields.