Ultrafast dynamics of isolated phenylcarbenes followed by femtosecond time-resolved velocity map imaging.

The ultrafast dynamics of two carbene model systems, chlorophenylcarbene (CPC) and trifluoromethylphenylcarbene (TFPC), has been studied in a molecular beam. Velocity map imaging aids optimizing the pyrolysis conditions for a clean generation of reactive intermediates by supersonic jet flash pyrolysis. The dynamics was followed in real time by time-resolved mass spectroscopy and photoion and photoelectron imaging.