Vacuum ultraviolet photochemistry of trimethylene sulfone and cyclobutanone. The triplet trimethylene diradical

Trimethylene sulfone has been photolyzed at 147.0, 123.6, and 106.7--4.8 nm in the gas and solid phases. The primary products of photolysis at all wavelengths are SO/sub 2/, cyclopropane, propylene, and ethylene. The major reaction of excited trimethylene sulfone is elimination of SO/sub 2/ to produce trimethylene diradical. At 147.0 nm a triplet state is implicated in the photodecomposition, while at 106.7--4.8 nm there is no evidence for the production of a triplet in the gas-phase photolysis. The similarity to the vacuum uv photochemistry of cyclobutanone is also examined. 1 figure, 4 tables.