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The γ radiolysis of a binary mixture of methanol and water over a wide concentration range has been investigated. The observed yields of products are expressed as a linear function of the electron fraction of methanol in the mixture. The yields of molecular hydrogen were also determined. Analyzing the results on reasonable assumptions, one could obtain for neutral water, Ge\barsw=2.3–2.5 and GOHw≥2.6. It was concluded that, in the radiolysis of methanol, formaldehyde may be produced through the decomposition of CH2OH radicals in the spur region, not by the disproportionation of these radicals.

Hydrogen formation from UV-irradiated potassium iodide solutions was studied using CH3OH and CH3OD as the solvents and nitrous oxide and acids as the solvated-electron scavengers. The maximum quantum yield of the solvated electron in CH3OH was found to be 0.6 both in nitrous oxide and in acid solutions. It was concluded that the solvated electron produces hydrogen in pure methanol through Reaction (1), e−solv→H+CH3O−, with a quantum yield of 0.35 at 25°. The rate constant of this reaction is 5.4×105sec−1, corresponding to a half-life of 1.3 μsec. From the results obtained with acid solutions, it was also concluded that nitrous oxide reacts with a solvated electron to produce one molecule of nitrogen in neutral methanol.

Liquid methanol containing trimethyl borate and nitrous oxide was irradiated with thermal neutrons from a nuclear reactor. In contrast to the marked effect on the ?-radiolysis yields, nitrous oxide had a little effect on the recoil radiolysis yields from methanol, and nitrogen yield was as low as 0.2 in Gunit. These results indicate that the yield of the solvated electron in the recoil radiolysis of methanol is about one tenth of that in the ?-radiolysis.