Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Commerce

Harry J Dewey

Joseph J Ritter

Richard A Keller

Michel Lamotte

An isotopic starting material consisting of a mixture of chlorine-35 and chlorine-37 isotopic species of an isotopic compound having the formula CYClX, wherein Y is O or S and X is Cl or F, such as thiophosgene, is selectively isotopically enriched by means of a laser-induced photochemical reaction between selected chlorine isotopic species in the starting material and a dialkoxyethylene, such as diethoxyethylene. The method is carried out by irradiating with laser radiation, a gaseous mixture at a reduced pressure of the isotopic starting material and the dialkoxyethylene, until a stable reaction product is formed. The wavelength of the radiation is selected so as to selectively excite at least one but less than all of the chlorine isotopic species in the starting material, thereby causing the excited species to preferentially react with the dialkoxyethylene. The resulting reaction product is readily separable from the reaction mixture thereby leaving unreacted isotopic starting material selectively enriched in the unexcited chlorine isotopic species.

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Harry J Dewey