A high resolution spectroscopic study of rhodium monochloride

Rhodium monochloride has been observed and characterized spectroscopically for the first time. The RhCl molecules were produced in a laser vaporization molecular beam source by the reaction of a laser vaporized rhodium plasma with CCl₄ doped in helium, and laser-induced fluorescence and dispersed fluorescence were used to study 15 of the strongest bands spanning the 535-415 nm region. Twelve of these bands were studied at high resolution using a cw ring dye laser. Two low-lying states separated by 140 cm⁻¹ have been observed. The ground state has Ω = 2 and is attributed to a ³Π_i state resulting from a δ⁴π³σ¹ electronic configuration. The other low-lying state has Ω = 3 and is attributed to a ³Δ_i state resulting from a δ³π⁴σ¹ electronic configuration. Excited states with Ω values ranging from 1 to 4 have been observed. Dispersed fluorescence from these excited levels has been used to identify a large number of low-lying electronic states within an energy range of 5200 cm⁻¹ and has also been used to determine a ground state vibrational frequency of ∼348 cm⁻¹. Λ-doublings have been observed in all the transitions studied at high resolution.