High-resolution IR studies of hydrogen bonded clusters: large amplitude dynamics in (HCl)n

Structural and dynamical information on small hydrogen-bonded systems is revealed by high-resolution IR spectroscopy of HCl dimer, trimer and tetramer. In (HCl)2, four combination bands tentatively assigned to the Van der Waals stretch nu 4 and geared band nu 5 vibrations are observed. The study focuses on two unexpected results: (i) all of the observed bands are built only on the bound HCl stretch nu 2, and (ii) the bands predominantly originate from the 9-fold less populated upper tunneling level of the ground state. Model 3D quantum calculations are presented to show that both these surprising trends originate from the large amplitude tunneling dynamics in the dimer. The (HCl)3 spectra are assigned and analyzed for multiple isotopomeric contributions. The spectral fit reveals large homogeneous line broadening indicating the excited state lifetime of approximately 1.6 ns and tentatively associated with dynamics of intramolecular vibrational energy distribution (IVR) induced trimer ring opening. Finally, first high-resolution data on the HCl stretch fundamental spectrum of (HCl)4 are presented.     

Intramolecular energy transfer between oriented chromophores: high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of HCl trimer

Detailed dynamical and structural information has been obtained for hydrogen-bonded (HCl)(3) clusters via high-resolution IR laser absorption spectroscopy in a supersonic slit expansion. Multiple rovibrational bands in an approximately 3000 cm(-1) HCl stretch region have been assigned and analyzed for H (35)Cl/H (37)Cl isotopomeric contributions, corresponding to excitation of (i) the degenerate antisymmetric HCl stretch in isotopically pure (H (35)Cl)(3), (ii) high- and low-frequency components of the nearly degenerate HCl stretch in H (37)Cl (H (35)Cl)(2), (iii) the low-frequency component of the corresponding HCl stretch in (H (37)Cl)(2) H (35)Cl. The isotopically pure (H (35)Cl)(3) results are in good agreement with earlier diode-laser efforts. A simple exciton model for vibrational coupling between HCl subunits is presented that indicates rapid intramolecular energy flow (beta approximately -1.89 cm(-1), tau approximately 2.8 ps) in the trimer ring, which is in good agreement with vibrationally mediated tunneling rates observed in the HCl dimer. Spectral analysis at slit jet resolution indicates a Deltanu approximately 120 MHz homogeneous line broadening and an excited-state lifetime of approximately 1.3 ns. The data is consistent with intramolecular vibrational redistribution-induced opening of the trimer followed by true predissociation to either (HCl)(2)+HCl or 3HCl on a longer time scale.     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ab initio theory of acid-hydrogen sulfide clusters: H2S-HCl, D2S-DCl and H2S-(HCl)(2)

The rotationally resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum of the nu(s) HCl and DCl stretching bands for the hydrogen bonded complex H2S-HCl and its isotopomer D2S-DCl have been observed in a supersonic jet at 0.02 cm(-1) resolution. In the same experimental conditions, two additional bands observed without rotational structure in the HCl range of the dimer have been assigned to the cyclic trimer H2S-(HCl)(2). The multidimensional coupling picture involving the donor stretch mode nu(s) and low frequency intermolecular modes already evidenced in several medium strength hydrogen bonded complexes is beautifully confirmed by the observation of completely separated hot band progressions in the 198 K cell spectrum of both dimers. Based on our anharmonic adiabatic approach for the treatment of the coupled vibrations, absolute vibrational frequencies, diagonal and off-diagonal anharmonicities as well as rovibrational coupling constants obtained from analyses of several 2-D subspaces at MP2 and CCSD(T) level are in excellent agreement with spectroscopic results. In the case of small light complexes, the combination of elevated rotational constants and a negligible contribution of intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) improve the reliability of predissociation lifetime measurements, estimated to 180 ps for H2S-HCl and above 200 ps for D2S-DCl.     

Jet cooled spectroscopy of H2DO+: Barrier heights and isotope-dependent tunneling dynamics from H3O+ to D3O+

The first high resolution spectroscopic data for jet cooled H2DO+ are reported, specifically via infrared laser direct absorption in the OH stretching region with a slit supersonic jet discharge source. Transitions sampling upper (0-) and lower (0+) tunneling states for both symmetric (nu1+ <-- 0+, nu1- <-- 0-, and nu1- <-- 0+) and antisymmetric (nu3+ <-- 0+ and nu3- <-- 0-) OH stretching bands are observed, where +/- refers to wave function reflection symmetry with respect to the planar umbrella mode transition state. The spectra can be well fitted to a Watson asymmetric top Hamiltonian, revealing band origins and rotational constants for benchmark comparison with high-level ab initio theory. Of particular importance are detection and assignment of the relatively weak band (nu1- <-- 0+) that crosses the inversion tunneling gap, which is optically forbidden in H3O+ or D3O+, but weakly allowed in H2DO+ by lowering of the tunneling transition state symmetry from D(3h) to C(2v). In conjunction with other H2DO+ bands, this permits determination of the tunneling splittings to within spectroscopic precision for each of the ground [40.518(10) cm(-1)], nu1 = 1 [32.666(6) cm(-1)], and nu3 = 1 [25.399(11) cm(-1)] states. A one-dimensional zero-point energy corrected potential along the tunneling coordinate is constructed from high-level ab initio CCSD(T) calculations (AVnZ, n = 3,4,5) and extrapolated to the complete basis set limit to extract tunneling splittings via a vibrationally adiabatic treatment. Perturbative scaling of the potential to match splittings for all four isotopomers permits an experimental estimate of DeltaV0 = 652.9(6) cm(-1) for the tunneling barrier, in good agreement with full six-dimensional ab initio results of Rajamaki, Miani, and Halonen (RMH) [J. Chem. Phys. 118, 10929 (2003)]. (DeltaV0 (RMH) = 650 cm(-1)). The 30%-50% decrease in tunneling splitting observed upon nu1 and nu3 vibrational excitations arises from an increase in OH stretch frequencies at the planar transition state, highlighting the transition between sp2 and sp3 hybridizations of the OHD bonds as a function of inversion bending angle.     

Imaging H2O photofragments in the predissociation of the HCl-H2O hydrogen-bonded dimer

The state-to-state vibrational predissociation (VP) dynamics of the hydrogen-bonded HCl-H(2)O dimer was studied following excitation of the dimer's HCl stretch by detecting the H(2)O fragment. Velocity map imaging (VMI) and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) were used to determine pair-correlated product energy distributions. Following vibrational excitation of the HCl stretch of the dimer, H(2)O fragments were detected by 2 + 1 REMPI via the C (1)B(1) (000) ← X (1)A(1) (000) transition. REMPI spectra clearly show H(2)O from dissociation produced in the ground vibrational state. The fragments' center-of-mass (c.m.) translational energy distributions were determined from images of selected rotational states of H(2)O and were converted to rotational state distributions of the HCl cofragment. The distributions were consistent with the previously measured dissociation energy of D(0) = 1334 ± 10 cm(-1) and show a clear preference for rotational levels in the HCl fragment that minimize translational energy release. The usefulness of 2 + 1 REMPI detection of water fragments is discussed.     

Near-infrared spectroscopy of ethylene and ethylene dimer in superfluid helium droplets

The nu(5)+nu(9) spectra of ethylene, C(2)H(4), and its dimer, solvated in helium nanodroplets, have been recorded in the wavelength region near 1.6 microm. The monomer transitions show homogeneous broadening of approximately 0.5 cm(-1), which is interpreted as due to an upper state vibrational relaxation lifetime of approximately 10 ps. Nearly resonant vibrational energy transfer (nu(5)+nu(9)-->2nu(5)) is proposed as the relaxation pathway. The dimer gives a single unresolved absorption feature located 4 cm(-1) to the red of the monomer band origin. The scaling of moments of inertia upon solvation in helium is 1.18 for the monomer and >2.5 for the dimer. In terms of the adiabatic following approximation, this classifies the monomer as a fast rotor and the dimer as a slow rotor.     

Interchange-tunneling splitting in HCl dimer in helium nanodroplets

Midinfrared spectra of HCl dimers have been obtained in helium nanodroplets. The interchange-tunneling (IT) splitting in the vibrationally excited state of the bonded H-Cl stretching band (nu(2)) in (H(35)Cl-H(37)Cl) dimers was measured to be 2.7+/-0.2 cm(-1), as compared to 3.7 cm(-1) in free dimer. From the splitting, the strength of the IT coupling in liquid helium of 0.85+/-0.15 cm(-1) was obtained, which is about a factor of 2 smaller than in the free dimer. The results are compared with the previous spectroscopic study of (HF)(2) in He droplets as well as the theoretical study of (HF)(2) and (HCl)(2) dimers in small He clusters.     

Slit discharge IR spectroscopy of a jet-cooled cyclopropyl radical: structure and intramolecular tunneling dynamics

High-resolution infrared spectra of a jet-cooled cyclopropyl radical are reported for the first time, specifically sampling the in-phase antisymmetric CH2 stretch (nu7) vibration. In addition to yielding the first precise gas-phase structural information, the spectra reveal quantum level doubling into lower (+) and upper (-) states due to tunneling of the lone alpha-CH with respect to the CCC plane. The bands clearly reveal intensity alternation due to H atom nuclear spin statistics (6:10 and 10:6 for even:odd Ka+Kc in lower (+) and upper (-) tunneling levels, respectively) consistent with C2v symmetry of the cyclopropyl-tunneling transition state. The two ground-state-tunneling levels fit extremely well to a rigid asymmetric rotor Hamiltonian, but there is clear evidence for both local and global state mixing in the vibrationally excited nu7 tunneling levels. In particular, the upper (-) tunneling component of the nu7 state is split by anharmonic coupling with a nearly isoenergetic dark state, which thereby acquires oscillator strength via intensity sharing with this bright state. From thermal Boltzmann analysis of fractional populations, tunneling splittings for a cyclopropyl radical are estimated to be 3.2 +/- 0.3 cm(-1) and 4.9 +/- 0.3 cm(-1) in the ground and nu7-excited states, respectively. This analysis indicates ground-state stereoracemization of the alpha-CH radical center to be a very fast process [k approximately 2.0(4) x 10(11) s(-1)], with the increase in the tunneling rate upon CH2 in-phase asymmetric stretch excitation consistent with ab initio predictions of equilibrium vs transition-state zero-point energies. Modeling of the ground-state-tunneling splittings with high level ab initio 1D potentials indicates an improved V0 = 1115 +/- 35 cm(-1) barrier height for alpha-CH inversion through the cyclopropyl CCC plane.     

Imaging study of vibrational predissociation of the HCl-acetylene dimer: pair-correlated distributions

The state-to-state predissociation dynamics of the HCl-acetylene dimer were studied following excitation in the asymmetric C-H (asym-CH) stretch and the HCl stretch. Velocity map imaging (VMI) and resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) were used to determine pair-correlated product energy distributions. Different vibrational predissociation mechanisms were observed for the two excited vibrational levels. Following excitation in the of the asym-CH stretch fundamental, HCl fragments in upsilon = 0 and j = 4-7 were observed and no HCl in upsilon = 1 was detected. The fragments' center-of-mass (c.m.) translational energy distributions were derived from images of HCl (j = 4-7), and were converted to rotational state distributions of the acetylene co-fragment by assuming that acetylene is generated with one quantum of C-C stretch (nu(2)) excitation. The acetylene pair-correlated rotational state distributions agree with the predictions of the statistical phase space theory, restricted to acetylene fragments in 1nu(2). It is concluded that the predissociation mechanism is dominated by the initial coupling of the asym-CH vibration to a combination of C-C stretch and bending modes in the acetylene moiety. Vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) between acetylene bending and the intermolecular dimer modes leads to predissociation that preserves the C-C stretch excitation in the acetylene product while distributing the rest of the available energy statistically. The predissociation mechanism following excitation in the Q band of the dimer's HCl stretch fundamental was quite different. HCl (upsilon = 0) rotational states up to j = 8 were observed. The rovibrational state distributions in the acetylene co-fragment derived from HCl (j = 6-8) images were non-statistical with one or two quanta in acetylene bending vibrational excitation. From the observation that all the HCl(j) translational energy distributions were similar, it is proposed that there exists a constraint on conversion of linear to angular momentum during predissociation. A dimer dissociation energy of D(0) = 700 +/- 10 cm(-1) was derived.     

Imaging the state-specific vibrational predissociation of the C2H2-NH3 hydrogen-bonded dimer

The state-to-state vibrational predissociation (VP) dynamics of the hydrogen-bonded ammonia-acetylene dimer were studied following excitation in the asymmetric CH stretch. Velocity map imaging (VMI) and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) were used to determine pair-correlated product energy distributions. Following vibrational excitation of the asymmetric CH stretch fundamental, ammonia fragments were detected by 2 + 1 REMPI via the B1E' <-- X1A1' and C'1A1' <-- X1A1' transitions. The fragments' center-of-mass (c.m.) translational energy distributions were determined from images of selected rotational levels of ammonia with one or two quanta in the symmetric bend (nu2 umbrella mode) and were converted to rotational-state distributions of the acetylene co-fragment. The latter is always generated with one or two quanta of bending excitation. All the distributions could be fit well when using a dimer dissociation energy of D0 = 900 +/- 10 cm(-1). Only channels with maximum translational energy <150 cm(-1) are observed. The rotational excitation in the ammonia fragments is modest and can be fit by temperatures of 150 +/- 50 and 50 +/- 20 K for 1nu2 and 2nu2, respectively. The rotational distributions in the acetylene co-fragment pair-correlated with specific rovibrational states of ammonia appear statistical as well. The vibrational-state distributions, however, show distinct state specificity among channels with low translational energy release. The predominant channel is NH3(1nu2) + C2H2(2nu4 or 1nu4 + 1nu5), where nu4 and nu5 are the trans- and cis-bend vibrations of acetylene, respectively. A second observed channel, with much lower population, is NH3(2nu2) + C2H2(1nu4). No products are generated in which the ammonia is in the vibrational ground state or the asymmetric bend (1nu4) state, nor is acetylene ever generated in the ground vibrational state or with CC stretch excitation. The angular momentum (AM) model of McCaffery and Marsh is used to estimate impact parameters in the internal collisions that give rise to the observed rotational distributions. These calculations show that dissociation takes place from bent geometries, which can also explain the propensity to excite fragment bending levels. The low recoil velocities associated with the observed channels facilitate energy exchange in the exit channel, which results in statistical-like fragment rotational distributions.     

State-to-state dynamics of the Cl + CH3OH --> HCl + CH2OH reaction

Molecular chlorine, methanol, and helium are co-expanded into a vacuum chamber using a custom designed "late-mixing" nozzle. The title reaction is initiated by photolysis of Cl2 at 355 nm, which generates monoenergetic Cl atoms that react with CH3OH at a collision energy of 1960 +/- 170 cm(-1) (0.24 +/- 0.02 eV). Rovibrational state distributions of the nascent HCl products are obtained via 2 + 1 resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization, center-of-mass scattering distributions are measured by the core-extraction technique, and the average internal energy of the CH3OH co-products is deduced by measuring the spatial anisotropy of the HCl products. The majority (84 +/- 7%) of the HCl reaction products are formed in HCl(v = 0) with an average rotational energy of [Erot] = 390 +/- 70 cm(-1). The remaining 16 +/- 7% are formed in HCl(v = 1) and have an average rotational energy of [Erot] = 190 +/- 30 cm(-1). The HCl(v = 1) products are primarily forward scattered, and they are formed in coincidence with CH2OH products that have little internal energy. In contrast, the HCl(v = 0) products are formed in coincidence with CH2OH products that have significant internal energy. These results indicate that two or more different mechanisms are responsible for the dynamics in the Cl + CH3OH reaction. We suggest that (1) the HCl(v = 1) products are formed primarily from collisions at high impact parameter via a stripping mechanism in which the CH2OH co-products act as spectators, and (2) the HCl(v = 0) products are formed from collisions over a wide range of impact parameters, resulting in both a stripping mechanism and a rebound mechanism in which the CH2OH co-products are active participants. In all cases, the reaction of fast Cl atoms with CH3OH is with the hydrogen atoms on the methyl group, not the hydrogen on the hydroxyl group.     

Ionization from a double bond: rovibronic photoionization dynamics of ethylene, large amplitude torsional motion and vibronic coupling in the ground state of C2H4+

Rotationally resolved pulsed-field-ionization zero-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectra of the X-->X+ transition in ethylene and ethylene-d4 have been recorded at a resolution of 0.09 cm(-1). The spectra provide new information on the large amplitude torsional motion in the cationic ground state. An effective one-dimensional torsional potential was determined from the experimental data. Both C2H4+ and C2D4+ exhibit a twisted geometry, and the lowest two levels of the torsional potential form a tunneling pair with a tunneling splitting of 83.7(5) cm(-1) in C2H4+ and of 37.1(5) cm(-1) in C2D4+. A model was developed to quantitatively analyze the rotational structure of the photoelectron spectra by generalizing the model of Buckingham, Orr, and Sichel [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 268, 147 (1970)] to treat asymmetric top molecules. The quantitative analysis of the rotational intensity distributions of allowed as well as forbidden vibrational bands enabled the identification of strong vibronic mixing between the X+ and A+ states mediated by the torsional mode nu(4) and a weaker mixing between the X+ and B+ states mediated by the symmetric CH2 out-of-plane bending mode nu7. The vibrational intensities could be accounted for quantitatively using a Herzberg-Teller-type model for vibronic intensity borrowing. The adiabatic ionization energies of C2H4 and C2D4 were determined to be 84 790.42(23) cm(-1) and 84 913.3(14) cm(-1), respectively.     

Effect of bending and torsional mode excitation on the reaction Cl+CH4-->HCl+CH3

A beam containing CH(4), Cl(2), and He is expanded into a vacuum chamber where CH(4) is prepared via infrared excitation in a combination band consisting of one quantum of excitation each in the bending and torsional modes (nu(2)+nu(4)). The reaction is initiated by fast Cl atoms generated by photolysis of Cl(2) at 355 nm, and the resulting CH(3) and HCl products are detected in a state-specific manner using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). By comparing the relative amplitudes of the action spectra of Cl+CH(4)(nu(2)+nu(4)) and Cl+CH(4)(nu(3)) reactions, we determine that the nu(2)+nu(4) mode-driven reaction is at least 15% as reactive as the nu(3) (antisymmetric stretch) mode-driven reaction. The REMPI spectrum of the CH(3) products shows no propensity toward the formation of umbrella bend mode excited methyl radical, CH(3)(nu(2)=1), which is in sharp distinction to the theoretical expectation based on adiabatic correlations between CH(4) and CH(3). The rotational distribution of HCl(v=1) products from the Cl+CH(4)(nu(2)+nu(4)) reaction is hotter than the corresponding distribution from the Cl+CH(4)(nu(3)) reaction, even though the total energies of the two reactions are the same within 4%. An explanation for this enhanced rotational excitation of the HCl product from the Cl+CH(4)(nu(2)+nu(4)) reaction is offered in terms of the projection of the bending motion of the CH(4) reagent onto the rotational motion of the HCl product. The angular distributions of the HCl(nu=0) products from the Cl+CH(4)(nu(2)+nu(4)) reaction are backward scattered, which is in qualitative agreement with theoretical calculation. Overall, nonadiabatic product vibrational correlation and mode specificity of the reaction indicate that either the bending mode or the torsional mode or both modes are strongly coupled to the reaction coordinate.     

Rotational and vibrational relaxation of methane excited to 2nu3 in CH4/H2 and CH4/He mixtures at 296 and 193 K from double-resonance measurements

A series of time-resolved IR-IR double-resonance experiments have been conducted where methane molecules are excited into a selected rovibrational level of the 2nu3(F2) vibrational substate of the tetradecad and where the time evolution of the population of the various energy levels is probed by a tunable continuous wave laser. The rotational relaxation and vibrational energy transfer processes occurring in methane upon inelastic CH4-H2 and CH4-He collisions have been investigated by this technique at room temperature and at 193 K. By probing transitions in which either the lower or the upper level is the laser-excited level, rotational depopulation rates in the 2nu3(F2) substate were measured. The rate constants for CH4-H2 collisions were found to be 17.7 +/- 2.0 and 18.9 +/- 2.0 micros(-1) Torr(-1) at 296 and 193 K, respectively, and for CH(4)-He collisions they are 12.1 +/- 1.5 and 16.0 +/- 2.0 micros(-1) Torr(-1) at the same temperatures. The vibrational relaxation was investigated by probing other stretching transitions such as 2nu3(F2) - nu3, nu3 + 2nu4 - 2nu4, and nu3 + nu4 - nu4. A kinetic model, taking into account the main collisional processes connecting energy levels up to 6000 cm(-1), that has been developed to describe the various relaxation pathways allowed us to calculate the temporal evolution of populations in these levels and to simulate double-resonance signals. The different rate coefficients of the vibrational relaxation processes involved in these mixtures were determined by fitting simulated signals to the observed signals corresponding to assigned transitions. For vibration to translation energy transfer processes, hydrogen is a much more efficient collision partner than helium, nitrogen, or methane itself at 193 K as well as at room temperature.     

Rotational and vibrational dynamics of ethylene in helium nanodroplets

Rotationally resolved infrared spectra are reported for the asymmetric C-H stretching fundamental bands of C(2)H(4) in helium nanodroplets, as well as two weak combination bands. The J=2 rotor levels are strongly shifted from the energies estimated from a rigid rotor calculation and can be accounted for with two centrifugal distortion constants. The excited states of the three bands with B(3u) symmetry are strongly coupled in the gas phase and exhibit lifetimes >100 ps in helium, with the upper member of the polyad exhibiting the shortest lifetime. In contrast, the nu(9) band (B(2u) symmetry) exhibits very broad, homogeneously broadened line profiles (full width at half maximum approximately 0.5 cm(-1)) corresponding to an excited state lifetime of approximately 10 ps. This short lifetime is presumed to be due to an efficient, solvent mediated vibration-to-vibration relaxation process. In addition, the absence of transitions to the 2(21) and 2(20) rotor levels in the nu(9) band suggests they form rotational resonances with the elementary modes of helium, resulting in very short excited state lifetimes of less than 2 ps.     

Inversion vibration of PH3+(X2A2") studied by zero kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy

We report the first rotationally resolved spectroscopic studies on PH3+(X2A2") using zero kinetic energy photoelectron spectroscopy and coherent VUV radiation. The spectra about 8000 cm(-1) above the ground vibrational state of PH3+(X2A2") have been recorded. We observed the vibrational energy level splittings of PH3+(X2A2") due to the tunneling effect in the inversion (symmetric bending) vibration (nu2+). The energy splitting for the first inversion vibrational state (0+/0-) is 5.8 cm(-1). The inversion vibrational energy levels, rotational constants, and adiabatic ionization energies (IEs) for nu2+ = 0-16 have been determined. The bond angles between the neighboring P-H bonds and the P-H bond lengths are also obtained using the experimentally determined rotational constants. With the increasing of the inversion vibrational excitations (nu2+), the bond lengths (P-H) increase a little and the bond angles (H-P-H) decrease a lot. The inversion vibrational energy levels have also been calculated by using one dimensional potential model and the results are in good agreement with the experimental data for the first several vibrational levels. In addition to inversion vibration, we also observed firstly the other two vibrational modes: the symmetric P-H stretching vibration (nu1+) and the degenerate bending vibration (nu4+). The fundamental frequencies for nu1+ and nu4+ are 2461.6 (+/-2) and 1043.9 (+/-2) cm(-1), respectively. The first IE for PH3 was determined as 79670.9 (+/-1) cm(-1).     

Motional narrowing of the rotational spectrum of trifluoropropyne at 6550 cm(-1) by intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution

We present the basic principles of dynamic rotational spectroscopy for the highly vibrationally excited symmetric top molecule trifluoropropyne (TFP,CF3CCH). Single molecular eigenstate rotational spectra of TFP were recorded in the region of the first overtone of the nu(1) acetylenic stretching mode at 6550 cm(-1) by infrared-pulsed microwave-Fourier transform microwave triple resonance spectroscopy. The average rotational constant (B) of the highly vibrationally mixed quantum states at 6550 cm(-1) is 2909.33 MHz, a value that is 40 MHz larger than the rotational constant expected for the unperturbed C-H stretch overtone (2869.39 MHz). The average rotational constant and rotational line shape of the molecular eigenstate rotational spectra are compared to the distribution of rotational constants expected for the ensemble of normal-mode vibrational states at 6550 cm(-1) that can interact by intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR). The normal-mode population distribution at 6550 cm(-1) can be described using a Boltzmann distribution with a microcanonical temperature of 1200 K. At this energy the rotational constant distribution in the normal-mode basis set is peaked at about 2910 MHz with a width of about 230 MHz. The distribution is slightly asymmetric with a tail to the high end. The experimentally measured dynamic rotational spectra are centered at the normal-mode distribution peak; however, the spectral width is significantly narrower (40 MHz) than normal-mode ensemble width (230 MHz). This reduction of the width, along with the Lorentzian shape of the eigenstate rotational spectra when compared to the Gaussian shape of the calculated ensemble distribution, illustrates the narrowing of the spectrum due to IVR exchange. The IVR exchange rate was determined to be 120 ps, about ten times faster than the rate at which energy is redistributed from the v=2 level of the acetylenic stretch.     

Comparing the dynamical effects of symmetric and antisymmetric stretch excitation of methane in the Cl+CH4 reaction

The effects of two nearly isoenergetic C-H stretching motions on the gas-phase reaction of atomic chlorine with methane are examined. First, a 1:4:9 mixture of Cl(2), CH(4), and He is coexpanded into a vacuum chamber. Then, either the antisymmetric stretch (nu(3)=3019 cm(-1)) of CH(4) is prepared by direct infrared absorption or the infrared-inactive symmetric stretch (nu(1)=2917 cm(-1)) of CH(4) is prepared by stimulated Raman pumping. Photolysis of Cl(2) at 355 nm generates fast Cl atoms that initiate the reaction with a collision energy of 1290+/-175 cm(-1) (0.16+/-0.02 eV). Finally, the nascent HCl or CH(3) products are detected state-specifically via resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization and separated by mass in a time-of-flight spectrometer. We find that the rovibrational distributions and state-selected differential cross sections of the HCl and CH(3) products from the two vibrationally excited reactions are nearly indistinguishable. Although Yoon et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 119, 9568 (2003)] report that the reactivities of these two different types of vibrational excitation are quite different, the present results indicate that the reactions of symmetric-stretch excited or antisymmetric-stretch excited methane with atomic chlorine follow closely related product pathways. Approximately 37% of the reaction products are formed in HCl(v=1,J) states with little rotational excitation. At low J states these products are sharply forward scattered, but become almost equally forward and backward scattered at higher J states. The remaining reaction products are formed in HCl(v=0,J) and have more rotational excitation. The HCl(v=0,J) products are predominantly back and side scattered. Measurements of the CH(3) products indicate production of a non-negligible amount of umbrella bend excited methyl radicals primarily in coincidence with the HCl(v=0,J) products. The data are consistent with a model in which the impact parameter governs the scattering dynamics.     

High-resolution infrared studies in slit supersonic discharges: CH2 stretch excitation of jet-cooled CH2Cl radical

First high-resolution infrared spectra are presented for jet-cooled CH2 35Cl and CH2 37Cl radicals in the symmetric (nu1) CH2 stretching mode. A detailed spectral assignment yields refined lower and upper state rotational constants, as well as fine structure spin-rotation parameters from least-squares fits to the sub-Doppler line shapes for individual transitions. The rotational constants are consistent with a nearly planar structure, but do not exclude substantial large amplitude bending motion over a small barrier to planarity accessible with zero-point excitation. High level coupled cluster (singles/doubles/triples) calculations, extrapolated to the complete basis set limit, predict a slightly nonplanar equilibrium structure (theta approximately 11 degrees), with a vibrationally adiabatic treatment of the bend coordinate yielding a v = 1<--0 anharmonic frequency (393 cm(-1)) in excellent agreement with matrix studies (nu(bend) approximately 400 cm(-1)). The antisymmetric CH2 stretch vibration is not observed despite high sensitivity detection (signal to noise ratio >20:1) in the symmetric stretch band. This is consistent with density functional theory intensity calculations indicating a >35-fold smaller antisymmetric stretch transition moment for CH2Cl, and yet contrasts dramatically with high-resolution infrared studies of CH2F radical, for which both symmetric and antisymmetric CH2 stretches are observed in a nearly 2:1 intensity ratio. A simple physical model is presented based on a competition between bond-dipole and "charge-sloshing" contributions to the transition moment, which nicely explains the trends in CH2X symmetric versus asymmetric stretch intensities as a function of electron withdrawing group (X = D,Br,Cl,F).     

Fermi interaction between the nu1 and the nu2+4 nu(s) bands of Ar...DN2(+)

Two rotationally fully resolved vibrational bands have been assigned unambiguously to the linear deuteron bound Ar...DN(2) (+) complex by using ground state combination differences. The ionic complex is formed in a supersonic planar plasma expansion optimized and controlled by a mass spectrometer and is detected in direct absorption using tunable diode lasers and applying production modulation spectroscopy. The band origins are located at 2436.272 cm(-1) and at 2435.932 cm(-1) and correspond to the nu(1) band (NN stretch) and to the nu(2)+4 nu(s) combination band (DN and intermolecular stretch), respectively. The two bands overlap strongly and the large intensity of the combination band is explained in terms of a Fermi interaction. This interaction perturbs the observed transitions, particularly for low J values. Least-squares fitting yields values for the Fermi interaction parameters of F(0)=0.332 cm(-1) and F(J)=-0.001 46 cm(-1) and results in accurate rotational constants. These are discussed both from an experimental and a theoretical point of view.