Photodissociation of the Hydroxyl Radical (OH)

Photodissociation of the hydroxyl radical.
Animation courtesy COMET.

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is essentially a piece of a molecule, made up of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom. It is highly reactive. It is often produced when a water molecule loses a hydrogen atom.

This animation illustrates the process of photodissociation of the hydroxyl radical. When an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photon strikes the hydroxyl radical (OH) , it photodissociates the radical into two separate parts - a hydrogen atom (H) and an oxygen atom (O). The energy from the photon breaks the chemical bond that holds the atoms together.

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Photodissociation of Water

Photodissociation of Molecular Oxygen

Photodissociation of Molecular Nitrogen

Last modified February 17, 2006 by Randy Russell.

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