PRIMARY AND SECONDARY REDUCTION PRODUCTS IN IRRADIATED ACETIC, MONOLFLUOROACETIC AND GLYCOLIC ACID SINGLE CRYSTAL.

Single crystals, of acetic acid, monofluoroacetic acid, and glycolic acid have been irradiated at low temperatures and investigated with ESR. The main purpose of the work was to obtain data for the structure and the reactions of the primary reduction products, i. e. the molecular anions. The anions of acetic acid and glycolic acid are stable at 77 K. The monofluoroacetic acid anion could not be observed even at 3 K, but a decay product tentatively assumed to be an adduct was detected. The glycolic acid anion decomposes by elimination of water to become a radical. Radical products were observed in monofluoroacetic acid and glycolic acid. They are probably formed by decomposition of the molecular cations.