Ozone is formed in good yield by reacting O
2+ salts with water in HF at -78
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C. With isotopicallylabeled water
17O-
16O-
16O and
18O-
16O-
16O can be prepared, and other isotopomers could be made bystarting with
17O
2+ and
18O
2+ precursors.
17O NMR spectroscopy and IR matrix spectroscopy are used fordetection and decay of the isotopomers. The
17O or
18O label at the terminal position remains at -78
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C, butat higher temperatures scrambling of the atoms is observed. Under strict monomolecular conditions noscrambling is observed till 450
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C, however. Irradiation of ozone in a 15K argon matrix with
![](/images/gifchars/lambda.gif)
= 254 nmaffords scrambling of the label and formation of oxygen. Irradiation with
![](/images/gifchars/lambda.gif)
> 420 nm initiates only scramblingwith little decay. The possible mechanisms of the atomic scrambling are discussed.