Photodissociation of methyl and t-butyl thionitrite near 450 nm

Nascent NO from the primary dissociation step in the 450 to 470 nm photodissociation of the title compounds has been detected and characterised by two-photon laser-induced fluorescence. The NO photofragment is vibrationally cold but rotationally hot with a strongly inverted rotational population distribution, and the two ²? spin-orbit components are not in equilibrium. Dissociation proceeds from a repulsive S₂(n, p^*) state and gives rise to a non-statistical rotational population distribution. © 1987.