verb
- to break apart or decompose (a molecule or chemical compound) when exposed to light or photons
Usage: technical; chemistry; physics
Examples
- Chlorine molecules photodissociate in the upper atmosphere when struck by ultraviolet radiation.
- The researchers observed how water molecules photodissociate under intense laser light.
- Ozone can photodissociate into oxygen and atomic oxygen when exposed to UV radiation.
- The compound photodissociates rapidly in sunlight, making it unsuitable for outdoor storage.
- Scientists study how carbon dioxide photodissociates to understand atmospheric chemistry.