Spectroscopy of AlO: Combined analysis of the AΠi → XΣ and BΣ → XΣ transitions

A combined analysis of the A²Π_i → X²Σ⁺ and B²Σ⁺ → X²Σ⁺ band systems of AlO, involving 21,500 line assignments, has been performed. The analysis indicates that the previously reported γ values of the B²Σ⁺ state are questionable. The present analysis shows that γ(B²Σ⁺) ≈ 0.014 cm⁻¹, essentially independent of the vibrational level. The positive sign is consistent with second order interaction with the higher-lying C²Π_r and lower-lying A²Π_i states. It also appears that many of the previously reported γ and γ_D values of X²Σ⁺ (v > 0) are doubtful. In fact, γ(X²Σ⁺) is observed to become increasingly negative for v″ > 1, due to second order interaction with the low-lying A²Π_i state. The present results are based on models where the hyperfine structure of the ²Σ⁺ states has been taken into account explicitly. Intensity patterns of the branches of the B²Σ⁺ → X²Σ⁺ system have been shown to be influenced by the case bβ_S coupling in the ground state v = 0,1 levels. This gives rise to intensity differences of around 10 percent in the R₁/R₂ and P₁/P₂ doublet components. The synthesized intensity patterns are fully in accord with the F₁/F₂ assignments of the present work.     

New spectroscopic investigations of the fourth-positive (AΠ → XΣ) system bands in the CO molecule

The present work puts forward the results of the recordings carried out under high resolution by conventional, photographic spectroscopy and modern analysis of thirteen bands with v′ = 7-12 and v″ = 16-24 of the fourth-positive (A¹Π → X¹Σ⁺) band system. The current investigations include the region of the observed ¹³C¹⁶O molecule spectrum, much greater now than before. Especially, new transitions connected with not hitherto observed v′ = 12 vibrational level of the A¹Π state, were recorded and studied. Moreover, the region of perturbations observed in the upper state of the fourth-positive system was significantly enlarged. The observed perturbations were confronted with those predicted from theoretical calculations.     

Doppler-limited spectroscopy of the AΠ1 ← XΣ system of ICl in the 0.8 μm region using a Ti:sapphire ring laser

Doppler-limited vib-rotational absorption spectra of the A ← X electronic transition of I^35/37Cl are measured in the range 11,352-13,507 cm⁻¹ using a Ti:sapphire ring laser. The P-, Q-, and R-branch lines belonging to the v ← v″ = (0-7) ← (0-7) transition in I³⁵Cl and the v ← v″ = (0-6) ← (2-6) transition in I³⁷Cl are assigned. Under Doppler-limited conditions, the P- and R-branch lines are split into doublets by the nuclear quadrupole coupling effect of the I atom. The unperturbed positions of these lines are correctly calculated, whereas splitting in the Q-branch lines was not observed. The mass-reduced Dunham expansion coefficients U_l,m of the A and X states and the spectroscopic constants , and H_v^′ of the A state are determined using a global least-squares fitting procedure.     

The 1-v″ bands progression of the BΣ → XΣ system of CO

The B²Σ⁺ → X²Σ⁺ (0-1, 2, 3, 4 progression) electronic transition of ¹²C¹⁷O⁺ was first observed and analyzed by Szajna and Ke¸pa [Spectrochim. Acta A 65 (2006) 1014-1020]. We have now extended our previous studies. The use of high resolution conventional spectroscopic techniques has allowed first rotational analysis of the 1-2, 1-3, 1-4 and 1-5 bands of the first negative system in the 37,000-43,000 cm⁻¹ spectral region. Approximately 500 transition wavenumbers were measured with an estimated accuracy of 0.005 cm⁻¹. The present data were combined with the previous measurements to yield an improved set of molecular constants for the B²Σ⁺(v′ = 0, 1) and X²Σ⁺(v″ = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The v′ = 1 and v″ = 5 vibrational levels were observed for the first time and the main molecular constants are (in cm⁻¹, one standard deviation in parentheses)

B2Σ+		X2Σ+
B1 = 1.710792(20)		B5 = 1.825694(23)
D1 = 7.799(15) × 10−6		D5 = 6.085(21) × 10−6
γ1 = 1.9491(37) × 10−2		γ5 = [8.381] × 10−3

Full-size table

     

Rotational analysis of the (3, 6) band in the comet-tail (AΠi -XΣ) system of CO

The direct observation and rotational analysis of the (3, 6) band in the comet-tail (A²Π_i-X²Σ⁺) system of CO⁺ are carried out for the first time employing optical heterodyne and magnetic rotation enhanced velocity modulation spectroscopy. That 193 lines are assigned to this band ranging from 12 100 to 12 370 cm⁻¹ results in most accurate molecular constants by nonlinear least-squares fitting procedure employing the effective Hamiltonians.     

Absorption spectrum of the (2, 1) band in the AПi-XΣ system of CS cation

The spectrum of CS⁺ cation was recorded in the 12,235-12,600 cm⁻¹ region by employing optical heterodyne velocity modulation absorption spectroscopy. In combination with simultaneous measurement of optical heterodyne concentration modulation absorption spectroscopy, the spectral lines of CS⁺ blended with the neutral CS lines were identified and extracted from the observed spectra. One hundred and eighty-two spectral lines of CS⁺ were assigned to the (2, 1) band in the A²П_i-X²Σ⁺ system and the improved molecular constants of the upper level (υ = 2) in the A²П_i state were derived by nonlinear least squares fitting.     

Catalysis of the hydrogen oxidation reactions by Sr-doped LaMn1 − yCryO3 ± δ oxides

Sr-doped and Sr-free La_1 − xSr_xMn_1 − yCr_yO_3 ± δ (LSMC, x(Sr) = 0-0.2, y(Cr) = 0.4-0.6) perovskite-type oxides were synthesized and evaluated as single phase anodes for use in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell applications. Their thermo-chemical and chemical stabilities were investigated in hydrogen at high temperatures and correlated with their oxygen non-stoichiometry (3 ± δ), determined by permanganate titration. The catalytic activity towards hydrogen oxidation was examined as a function of oxide sintering time, operating temperature, and the Sr and Cr contents, using a Pt mesh current collector. While all of the perovskite oxides studied here showed some irreversible performance degradation with time under both open circuit and anodically polarized conditions, La_0.9Sr_0.1Mn_0.6Cr_0.4O_3.03 (LSMC9164), sintered at 1200 °C for 10 h, was found to be the most catalytically active and also the most stable.     

Photoemission from α and β phases of the GaAs(0 0 1)-c(4 × 4) surface

We prepared α- and β surface phases of GaAs(0 0 1)-c(4 × 4) reconstruction by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using As₄ and As₂ molecular beams, respectively, and examined them by angle-resolved ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with synchrotron radiation as an excitation source. The UPS valence band spectra and the XPS 3d core level data show pronounced differences corresponding to the surface composition and the atomic structure of the two phases, as proposed in the literature. In UPS, the β phase is characterized by an intensive surface state 0.5 eV below the top of the valence band at low photon energy, while an analogous peak in the α phase spectra is missing. The surface state is interpreted in terms of dangling bonds on As dimers. The As3d and Ga3d core level photoelectron lines exhibit phase-specific shapes as well as differences in the number, position and intensity of their deconvoluted components. The location of various atoms in the surface and subsurface layers is discussed; our photoemission results support models of the β phase and the α phase with As-As dimers and Ga-As heterodimers, respectively.     

The far-infrared and microwave spectra of the CH radical in the v = 1 level of the XΠ state

Transitions between the spin-rotational levels of the ¹²CH radical in the v = 1 level of the X²Π state have been studied by the technique of laser magnetic resonance at far-infrared wavelengths. The data have been combined with a measurement of lambda-doubling transition frequencies at 7 GHz to determine an improved set of molecular parameters for CH in the v = 1 level. The parameters provide information on the effects of vibrational excitation on the structural properties of CH. Accurate predictions of the transition frequencies between the low-lying levels of the radical in the absence of a magnetic field have also been made.Small inconsistencies in the least-squares fit of the laser magnetic resonance data prompted re-measurement of three far-infrared laser frequencies, the 122.5 μm line of CH₂F₂ pumped by 9R(22), the 122.5 μm line of CH₂F₂ pumped by 9P(8) and the 554.4 μm line of CH₂CF₂ pumped by 10P(14). The new measurements differ by as much as 3.8 MHz from those made previously and are more accurate; they also remove the inconsistencies in the fit. The re-measured frequencies of the two 122.5 μm lines are identical within experimental error which suggests that the far-infrared lasing transition is the same, namely the ^rR₂₃(32) transition in the v₉=1 level of CH₂F₂.     

High-resolution Fourier transform emission spectroscopy of the AΠ-XΣ system of GeSe

Natural germanium and selenium consist of, respectively, five and six stable isotopes. Several of these isotopes have considerable abundances and one should expect to observe the bands of at least six isotopic variants of germanium monoselenide (GeSe). In this paper, for the first time, the results of the high-resolution electronic spectrum of the main transition A¹Π-X¹Σ⁺ of the specific isotopomer ⁷⁴Ge⁸⁰Se, excited in a microwave discharge and recorded in the 33 500-26 000 cm⁻¹ region using a Fourier transform spectrometer, is discussed. From the rotational analysis of 25 bands involving v″ = 0-12 and v′ = 0-7, accurate vibrational and rotational constants of the A¹Π state are determined. The present study has revealed perturbations in the v′ = 6 and 7 levels of the A¹Π state.     

Fourier transform spectroscopy of chemiluminescence from the AΠ-XΣ system of SrO

The A^′1Π-X¹Σ⁺ near infrared system of strontium oxide (SrO) was observed at high spectral resolution by measuring the chemiluminescence from a Broida flow reactor using a Fourier transform spectrometer. In total, 32 bands from , , were measured within the spectral region at a resolution of . Vibrational levels of the upper state were observed up to v_A^′=4, and more than 5600 rotational lines were assigned. Incorporating previously published high resolution data for the A¹Σ⁺-X¹Σ⁺ system, a global fit to both data sets yields improved Dunham constants for the ground state and for the lower vibrational levels (v_A^′=0, 1, and 2) of the A^′1Π state. Because perturbations arising from interactions with the b³Σ⁺ and A¹Σ⁺ states affect the higher vibrational levels of the A^′1Π state more strongly, levels v_A^′=3 and 4 were represented by effective band constants in the fits. RKR potentials for the X¹Σ⁺,A^′1Π, and b³Σ⁺ states have been generated utilizing all the available data, Franck-Condon factors have been calculated for the A^′1Π-X¹Σ⁺ system, and A^′1Π∼b³Σ⁺ and A^′1Π∼A¹Σ⁺ perturbations are discussed.     

Surface studies of 2,4-pentanedione on γ-Al2O3/NiAl (1 0 0) and NiAl (1 0 0)

The chemical compound 2,4-pentanedione (Hacac) has been shown to etch the oxidized metal surfaces metals such as copper and nickel, but not their unoxidized surfaces. Here it is shown that on the γ-Al₂O₃/NiAl (1 0 0) surface (oxidized NiAl (1 0 0)) etching of aluminum occurs at 170 K and 750 K. Reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) is used to show that Hacac binds to both the clean, metallic and oxidized surfaces, but decomposition and combustion products dominate on the metallic surface and no etching occurs. The binding process that involves a deprotonation reaction of the enol species was identified by redshift in the carbonyl peaks and the appearance of an Al-H peak observed in the IR spectrum. The implication of these results is that there is both an unusual low temperature and high temperature etching of the alumina by bound acac.     

A study on the magnetic properties of carbon-doped (1 1 2? 0) ZnO thin films

By using the first principle method based on density functional theory (DFT), a study on the electronic structure and the ferromagnetic stability in C-doped (1 1 2¯ 0) ZnO thin films was conducted. It was found that the thin films have a FM ground state for a majority of configurations. It was also found that C atoms in the thin films have a clear clustering tendency. The ferromagnetism (FM) can be attributed to the coupling between C energy levels. The results showed that oxygen vacancies cannot stabilize the FM coupling of C-doped ZnO thin films. However, zinc vacancies can stabilize the FM coupling of the thin films, which indicates that hole-carriers play a crucial role in the observed FM behavior. In addition, the strain effect on the FM of C-doped ZnO thin films was also analyzed.     

Surface and redox chemistry of Sm0.95Ce0.05Fe1 − xNixO3 − δ perovskites

A new series of perovskite materials with formula Sm_0.95Ce_0.05Fe_1 − xNi_xO_3 − δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) has been prepared by sol-gel combustion via a citrate precursor route. X-ray diffraction data showed that materials prepared by this method had a single orthorhombic phase belonging to the Pnma (62) space group. The study of powders sintered in air and in reducing atmospheres reveals that these materials do not show phase separation in air (up to 1350 °C) nor under 5% v/v H₂/N₂ (up to 700 °C), but a phase separation of Sm₂O₃ does occur at and above 800 °C under 5% v/v H₂/N₂ without deterioration of the perovskite phase. The surfaces of all the powders (fresh, in-situ reduced and ex-situ reduced) were Sm rich, and multiple oxidation states for Fe were observed. XP analysis of in-situ reduced samples (800 °C and above) shows that metallic Fe forms in all nickel doped materials except x = 0.07. The surface oxygen vacancies and percentages of lattice and adsorbed oxygen for this series of Ni doped materials were determined and the oxygen recapturing ability is explained in terms of the multiple oxidation states of Fe.     

A selective [4 + 2]-like cycloaddition of α, β-unsaturated ketone on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7

The interaction of ethyl vinyl ketone (EVK) with Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 has been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The disappearance of both stretching vibrations of CH₂ (3099 cm⁻¹) and CO (1684 cm⁻¹) coupled with the appearance of new CC stretching mode (1660 cm⁻¹) in the HREELS spectra of chemisorbed EVK clearly demonstrates the direct involvement of conjugated CC and CO bonds to form a SiC¹H₂C²HC³(C⁴H₂C⁵H₃)OSi surface species via [4 + 2]-like cycloaddition in a highly selective manner. In addition, XPS studies show that the C1s binding energies of C¹/C² and C³ upon chemisorption display chemical downshifts of 0.8 eV and 2.2 eV, respectively, further confirming the proposed [4 + 2]-like cycloaddition reaction for the EVK/Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 system. DFT theoretical calculations suggest that the proposed [4 + 2]-like cycloadduct is thermodynamically most favorable.     

Adsorption of molecular oxygen on the reconstructed β2(2 × 4)-GaAs(0 0 1) surface: A first-principles study

In this work, first-principles modeling techniques are used to investigate the mechanism(s) of adsorption of molecular oxygen on the GaAs(0 0 1)-(2 × 4) surface. The reaction of adsorption was modeled using ab-initio molecular dynamics at constant temperature for two thermal regimes, i.e. 300 K and 680 K, respectively. The resulting adsorbate configurations were relaxed using density functional theory and the adsorption energies were subsequently computed. Our results suggest a dominant mechanism of adsorption described by molecular dissociation, followed by oxygen insertion in the Ga-As bonds, bridging Ga-O-As chemical bonds. The electronic properties of the clean reconstructed GaAs(0 0 1) surface and the ones obtained after O₂ adsorption were computed. It is found that for the most stable adsorbate configuration, where oxygen is incorporated in a Ga-O-As unit, the associated density of electronic states is free of defect levels within the GaAs band gap region.     

Interaction of H2S with α-Fe2O3(0 0 0 1) surface

The atomic-scale structural changes in an α-Fe₂O₃ (hematite) (0 0 0 1) surface induced by sulfidation and subsequent oxidation processes were studied by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, LEED, and X-ray standing wave (XSW) measurements. Annealing the α-Fe₂O₃(0 0 0 1) with a H₂S partial pressure of 1 × 10⁻⁷ Torr produced iron sulfides on the surface as the sulfur atoms reacted with the substrate Fe ions. The oxidation state of the substrate Fe changed from 3+ to 2+ as a result of the sulfidation. The XSW measured distance of the sulfur atomic-layer from the unrelaxed substrate oxygen layer was 3.16 Å. The sulfide phase consisted of three surface domains identified by LEED. Formation of the two-dimensional FeS₂ phase with structural parameters consistent with an outermost layer of (1 1 1) pyrite has been proposed. Atomic oxygen exposure oxidized the surface sulfide to a sulfate () and regenerated the α-Fe₂O₃(0 0 0 1) substrate, which was indicated by a (1 × 1) LEED pattern and the re-oxidization of Fe to 3+.     

Oxidation mechanism and ferryl domain formation on the α-Fe2O3 (0 0 0 1) surface

Recent experimental evidence calls for a reinterpretation of the oxidized structure in chemically distinct domains of the hematite (0 0 0 1) surface as the ferryl (FeO) termination rather than the bulk terminated O₃-Fe-Fe-R structure. Although this interpretation is consistent with experimental data and ab initio thermodynamics calculations, it raises serious questions about how molecular oxygen can be dissociated on a surface where reactive iron centers are slightly more than 5 Å apart. Here, we propose a novel cooperative bimolecular mechanism that provides a reasonable pathway for the formation of the unusual ferryl surface termination and should be readily reversible, which is important for understanding the function of hematite surfaces as an oxidation catalyst.     

Phase coexistence between the (√3 × √3)R30° - β and (1 × 1) phases on Pb/Ge(1 1 1)

We have characterized the phase transition between the (1 × 1) and (√3 × √3)R30° - β phases on Pb/Ge(1 1 1) using low energy electron microscopy (LEEM). We show that the transition is first-order and that, in the coexistence region of the two phases, the dominant mechanism for phase separation changes critically with Pb coverage, from nucleation and growth at 1.33 ML (saturation coverage of the β phase) to spontaneous domain switching due to thermal fluctuations of the local Pb density for slightly smaller coverage. As the Pb coverage decreases, the concentration of vacancies in the β phase increases, making additional possible Pb adsorption sites available. The larger resulting local density fluctuation of Pb becomes comparable to the density difference of the two phases, manifesting itself in the observed domain switching.