Nickel azide photolysis

Abstract

Photolysis of anhydrous NiN₆ at 30° under the action of high pressure Hg arc is reported. The sample for photolysis studies is prepared by treating aqueous nickel azide solution with excess of AnalaR dimethyl ketone. The pressure of N developed during photolysis under steady state conditions at constant intensity is a linear function oft ^1/2 and dark rate analysis suggests that the dependence ont ^1/2 should be due to the diffusion of N from reaction site to the surface of solid azide. Absence of photoconduction in the wavelength range of the irradiating radiation suggests that excitons are the reactive species and the linear dependence of the rate of photolysis on intensity is interpreted in terms of the reaction of a trapped exciton with adjacent azide ion.