Fulvio Cacace

Fulvio Cacace (died 1 December 2003[1]) was an Italian chemist.

In 1963, while at the Sapienza University of Rome, he devised the decay technique for the study of organic radicals and carbenium cations.[2][3] The technique is based on the preparation of compounds containing the radioactive isotope tritium in place of common hydrogen. When the tritium undergoes beta decay, it is turned into a helium-3 atom, that detaches from the parent molecule, leaving the desired cation or radical behind.

The technique has made it possible to study the chemistry of a vast number of such radicals and ions, in all sorts of environments, including solids, liquids, and gases. In particular, it has provided much of the knowledge of the chemistry of the helium hydride ion, specifically [3He3H]+.[4][5][3]

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference fcac1963 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference fcac1970 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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