The recombination rate coefficient for molecular helium ions has been measured in a pulsed afterglow at 1.86 Torr as a function of electron temperature and electron density without making a priori assumptions about the functional dependence. The concentrations of the molecular ions and electrons were measured and the source terms for the molecular ions were included in the rate equation.

The oxidative elimination reactions of (5-X-phen)Mo(C0)₄ (X = H, CH₃, Cl, NO₂; phen = o-phenanthroline) and (3,4,7,8-(CH₃)₄-phen)Mo(CO)₄ with mercuric chloride in acetone have been investigated. In these reactions, a carbon monoxide group is replaced by two univalent ligands, accompanied by the corresponding increase in coordination number and formal oxidation state of the central metal atom, to give products of the type, (X-phen)Mo(CO)₃(Cl)HgCl. With the exception of (3,4,7,8-(CH₃)₄-phen), the substituted o-phenanthrolines were selected so as to minimize steric differences from one substrate to another while obtaining the widest range of pKₐ of the ligand.