[myii]

Hi

Can someone show me what the mechanism would be for the photolysis of acetone? Should methyl radicals form?

[rolnor]

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/j100841a010#

[myii]

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/j100841a010#

Thanks for this so would the mechanism be just a free radical mechanism? As I am little confused about something, if the question asked 'show the photolysis mechanism of acetone' would you need to draw a mechanism so showing half arrows etc or do you think the mechanism shown on the paper you have given me is sufficient?

[Babcock_Hall]

Drawing a mechanism on an exam generally entails including mechanistic arrows.

[myii]

Drawing a mechanism on an exam generally entails including mechanistic arrows.

Ahhh ok, how would the arrows be drawn for the photolysis of acetone if this is the case?

[Babcock_Hall]

Yes, and if the mechanism involves single electrons, one uses single-barbed arrows.

[myii]

Yes, and if the mechanism involves single electrons, one uses single-barbed arrows.

Ah okay:), how would the mechanism look like I am really struggling still I know a radical is form from the acetone

[myii]

Yes, and if the mechanism involves single electrons, one uses single-barbed arrows.

Would this be the mechanism?

[Babcock_Hall]

Your drawing makes it looks as if everything happens in a single step.  The mechanism takes several steps, as shown at the link above.  I would use their mechanism as a starting point and add arrows.