REACTIVE SCATTERING OF O(3P) WITH TOLUENE

In a crossed molecular beam study, the reaction of O(/sup 3/P) + toluene, at 9.7 kcal/mol collision energy, is shown to give primarily radical products, CH/sub 3/ + phenoxy and H + cresoxy, under single-collision conditions. The isotropic angular distributions of the product suggest that the mechanism involves formation of a long-lived triplet biradical intermediate. 11 references, 6 figures.