Water as a clustering agent in photolysis and photonucleation of benzaldehyde vapor.

The role of water vapor in benzaldehyde photolysis and photonucleation is investigated experimentally as well as with the help of semiempirical estimation of reaction intermediates. It is shown that water molecules act as a clustering agent that brings together two benzaldehyde molecules. This mechanism may explain the experimental observation of glyoxal formation during photolysis in humid carrier gas even in the presence of oxygen, the dependence of the concentrations of glyoxal and diphenyl on water-vapor concentration, and some other unusual facts concerning minor products detected in the experiment.