Reactions of Methane with Iodine Activated by Radiative Neutron Capture

About 50 percent of the I128 atoms formed by the I127(n, γ)I128 reaction in gaseous mixtures of 0.2 mm of iodine and 400 mm of methane enter combination as methyl iodide, whereas much less than 1 percent of iodine atoms produced simultaneously by the photochemical dissociation of the iodine do so. By contrast, about 1 percent of the I128 formed by the I127(n, γ)I128 reaction in gaseous mixtures of iodine and ethyl iodide enters organic combination. The solubility of iodine in pure liquid methane is less than 10−10 m/1 but as much as 3×10−5 m/1 may be dissolved when air has been allowed to condense in the methane. In such solutions I128 from the I127(n, γ)I128 reaction is able to enter organic combination as methyl iodide, ethyl iodide, and higher boiling material.