Spectroscopy and dynamics of 9,10-dichloroanthracene-Arn van der Waals complexes

In this paper we report on the measurements of the absorption spectra of large van der Waals complexes in planar supersonic jets. The absorption spectra and the fluorescence excitation spectra of the complexes of 9,10-dichloroanthracene (DCA) with Ar atoms are reported for the S₀ → S₁(0) vibrationless transition of DCA·Ar_n (n = 1?6), and from the S₀ → S₁ (1390 cm^?1) transition of DCA·Ar_n (n = 1?4). Information on the structure of these complexes was inferred from the additivity of the spectral shifts per added rare-gas atom (ASSRA) for DCA·AR_n (n = 1.2) and from deviations from the ASSRA for CDA-Ar_n (n = 3?6). The vibrational predissociation (VP) dynamics of DCA-Ar_n (n = 1?3) complexes was interrogated by fluorescence quantum yield, Y, measurements. The value of the S₁ (1390 cm^?1) state of DCA·Ar_n (n = 1?3) exhibits a dramatic enhancement relative to that of DCA. Utilizing the dependence of Y on the excess vibrational energy of bare DCA, we were able to estimate the internal energy of the fragments resulting from VP of DCA·Ar_n of DCA·Ar_n (n = 1?3). An upper limit of ? 100 ps was estimated for the VP (and/or vibrational energy redistribution) lifetime from the S₁ (1390 cm^?1) state of DCA·Ar₃.