Ion-pair states in the complexes of iodine molecule with rare gases

The luminescence excitation spectra and the luminescence spectra of the I₂ + Rg (Rg = He, Ar, Xe; p _Rg = 2–20 Torr) mixtures measured at room temperature by the method of double optical resonance in the spectral range corresponding to the population of the I₂(f0 _g ⁺, v _f = 8.9) levels and in its vicinity are analyzed in this work. The experimental data and their interpretation, according to which these spectra can be explained by the energy transfer in the intermediate I₂(B0 _u ⁺) and final I₂(f0 _g ⁺) states of the free iodine molecule rather than by the optical population, luminescence, and predissociation of the ion-pair RgI₂(IP) complexes, are discussed. It is shown that these data can be explained only with account taken of the optical population of the RgI₂(IP) complexes. Original Russian Text ? M.E. Akopyan, S.S. Lukashov, S.A. Poretsky, A.M. Pravilov, 2009, published in Zhurnal Fizicheskoi Khimii, 2009, Vol. 83, No. 1, pp. 132–141.     

Collisional energy transfer in the intermediate states used for optical-optical double resonance excitation of ion-pair states in I2

The optical-optical double resonance spectra of I(2) and I(2)-Xe mixtures at room temperature reported in the literature using a fixed-wavelength, broad band pump laser have now been recorded using a tuneable, narrow band source. We show that during the time of the overlapped laser pulses ( approximately 10 ns) and with 10-20 Torr of Xe there is widespread collisional energy transfer in the intermediate state and that this phenomenon offers an alternative explanation for the broad bands in the excitation spectrum, assigned to XeI(2) complexes by the authors of the earlier study (M. E. Akopyan, I. Y. Novikova, S. A. Poretsky and A. M. Pravilov, Chem. Phys., 2005, 310, 287). Dispersed emission bands, previously attributed to direct fluorescence from the ion-pair state(s) of the complexes, are re-assigned to emission from ion-pair states of the parent I(2) that are populated by collisional energy transfer out of the initially excited state.     

Collisional energy transfer in tin by diatomics and inert gases

Collisional energy transfer between laser-excited atomic tin and both inert-gas and diatomic collision partners has been studied Relative populations of collisionally populated tin levels were determined For certain levels, diatomics transferred nearly two orders of magnitude more population than inert gases; for other levels there was nearly equal population transfer by both groups of partners.     

Collisional relaxation of metastable electronic states of Fe+

The overall rate constants for collisional relaxation of metastable excited states of Fe⁺ by He, Ar, Kr, H₂, ²H₂, CO, N₂, NO, CH₄, and CH₃OH have been studied by using charge-exchange ion-molecule reaction chemistry. The rate constants vary according to the nature of the quenching reagent as well as the energy level and electron configuration of the Fe⁺ ions. In general, NO, CH₄, and CH₃OH are the most efficient quenching reagents with rate constants that approach the Langevin collision rate, whereas the reaction rates for the rare gas atoms are slow and vary depending upon the specific electron configuration of the Fe⁺ ion. The mechanism of collisional relaxation is discussed with emphasis on a curve-crossing. mechanism for the rare gas atoms. An electron-transfer mechanism is described for the relaxation of high lying (Fe⁺)*.     

Collisional stabilization of van der Waals states of ozone

The mixed quantum-classical theory developed earlier [M. Ivanov and D. Babikov, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 144107 (2011)] is employed to treat the collisional energy transfer and the ro-vibrational energy flow in a recombination reaction that forms ozone. Assumption is that the van der Waals states of ozone are formed in the O + O(2) collisions, and then stabilized into the states of covalent well by collisions with bath gas. Cross sections for collision induced dissociation of van der Waals states of ozone, for their stabilization into the covalent well, and for their survival in the van der Waals well are computed. The role these states may play in the kinetics of ozone formation is discussed.     

Collisional quenching at ultralow energies: controlling efficiency with internal state selection

Calculations have been carried out for the vibrational quenching of excited H(2) molecules which collide with Li(+) ions at ultralow energies. The dynamics has been treated exactly using the well-known quantum coupled-channel expansions over different initial vibrational levels. The overall interaction potential has been obtained from the calculations carried out earlier by our group using highly correlated ab initio methods. The results indicate that specific features of the scattering observables, e.g., the appearance of Ramsauer-Townsend minima in elastic channel cross sections and the marked increase of the cooling rates from specific initial states, can be linked to potential properties at vanishing energies (sign and size of scattering lengths) and to the presence of either virtual states or bound states. The suggestion is made such that by selecting the initial state preparation of the molecular partners, the ionic interactions would be amenable to controlling quenching efficiency at ultralow energies.     

Relativistic compton profiles for rare gases

Two recent expressions for the momentum representation of relativistic hydrogenic wavefunctions are used to compute the K, L₁, L₂ and L₃ Subshell Compton profiles in the impulse approximation. The specific results presented refer to ³⁶Kr, ⁵⁴Xe and ⁸⁶Rn. It is shown that by making a judicious choice of the screening parameters one can use the approach to obtain numbers for relativistic impulse Compton profiles which are in good agreement with those obtained from self-consistent field calculations.     

Enhancement and quenching of photoionization in rare gas mixtures

Admixing a sufficient amount of a light rare gas to a heavier rare gas effects the photoionization current measured at the absorption lines of the latter. This current is enhanced if hv > E_c and quenched if hv <E_c where hv is the energy of the exciting photons. E_c is approximately equal to the ionization potential of the corresponding heteronuclear van der Waals molecule. Both homonuclear and heteronuclear dimer ion formation are discussed.     

Excited states quenching of phenosafranine dye by electron donors

The quenching of the excited singlet and triplet states of phenosafranine by aromatic amines, methoxybenzenes and triethanolamine was investigated in acetonitrile and methanol. The rate constants for the aromatic quenchers present a typical dependence of an electron transfer process with the one-electron redox potential of the donor. A Rehm–Weller correlation is obtained with the driving force. The fitting parameters are very similar in both solvents. The electron transfer nature of the quenching reaction is further confirmed by the detection of the radical cations of the quenchers and the semireduced form of the dye in laser flash photolysis experiments. The absorption coefficients of the transient species were estimated, and the quantum yield of the charge separation process was determined.     

Magnetic quenching effecs on long-lived postronium states in zeosil

Positron annihilatioin data collected for zeosil (a zeoilite-type solid allowing abundant Psformation) are discussed, with particular attention payed to the longest-lived positronium states as observed in lifetime spectroscopy experiments. To unravel the nature of these components, additional information was sought by applying an extermal magnetic field and by reecording the total energy distributioin of the annihilation radiation. From both the lifetime and the extended Doppler spectra, it is shown that positronium presents a very long-lived component with a relative intensity of ca. 30% and a lifetime close to the intrinsic tripler lifetime (140ns), therefore undergoing almost no pick-off annihilation. From the magnetic field experiments, the contact density parameter has a value of essentially 1, which is characteristic of an unpoerturbed triplet Ps state in vacuo. This positronium state therefore does not appear to interact with the medium.     

Collisional deactivation of Ba 5d7p (3)D1 by noble gases

Collisional deactivation of the 5d7p (3)D1 state of Ba by noble gases is studied by time- and wavelength-resolved fluorescence techniques. A pulsed, frequency-doubled dye laser at 273.9 nm excites the 5d7p (3)D1 level from the ground state, and fluorescence at 364.1 and 366.6 nm from the 5d7p (3)D1 --> 6s5d (3)D1 and 5d7p (3)D1 --> 6s5d (3)D2 transitions, respectively, is monitored in real time to obtain the deactivation rate constants. At 835 K these rate constants are as follows: He, (1.69 +/- 0.08) x 10(-9) cm(3) s(-1); Ne, (3.93 +/- 0.14) x 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1); Ar, (4.53 +/- 0.15) x 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1); Kr, (4.64 +/- 0.13) x 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1); Xe, (5.59 +/- 0.22) x 10(-10) cm(3) s(-1). From time-resolved 5d7p (3)D1 emission in the absence of noble gas and from the intercepts of the quenching plots, the lifetime of this state is determined to be 100 +/- 1 ns. Using time- and wavelength-resolved Ba emission with a low background pressure of noble gas, radiative lifetimes of several near-resonant states are determined from the exponential rise of the fluorescence signals. These results are as follows: 5d6d (3)D3, 28 +/- 3 ns; 5d7p (3)P1, 46 +/- 2 ns; 5d6d (3)G3, 21.5 +/- 0.8 ns; 5d7p (3)F3, 48 +/- 1 ns. Integrated fluorescence signals are used to infer the relative rate constants for population transfer from the 5d7p (3)D1 state to eleven near-resonant fine structure states.     

Evidence for static quenching of MLCT excited states by iodide

The metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited states of Ru(deeb)(bpy)(2)(PF(6))(2) [where bpy is 2,2-bipyridine and deeb is 4,4'-(CO(2)CH(2)CH(3))(2)-2,2'-bipyridine] in acetonitrile or dichloromethane were found to be quenched by iodide at room temperature. The ionic strength dependence of the optical spectra gave evidence for ion pairing. Iodide is found to quench the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and influence the spectral distribution of the emitted light. A static component to the time-resolved PL quenching provided further evidence for ground-state adduct. Stern-Volmer analysis of the static component provided an estimate of the iodide-Ru(deeb)(bpy)(2)(2+) adduct equilibrium constant in dichloromethane, K(sv) = 40,000 M(-)(1). Transient absorption studies clearly demonstrate that an electron-transfer quenching mechanism is operative and that I(2)(-)(*) can be photoproduced in high yield, phi = 0.25. For Ru(bpy)(3)(PF(6))(2) in acetonitrile, similar behavior could be observed at iodide concentrations >100 times that required for dichloromethane.     

Collisional quenching of electronically excited germanium atoms, Ge[4p(S0)], by small molecules investigated by time-resolved atomic resonance absorption spectroscopy

The collisional quenching of electronically excited germanium atoms, Ge[4p²(¹S₀)], 2.029 eV above the 4p²(³P₀) ground state, has been investigated by time-resolved atomic resonance absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet at λ = 274.04 nm [4d(¹P₁⁰) ← 4p²(¹S₀)]. In contrast to previous investigations using the ‘single-shot mode’ at high energy, Ge(¹S₀) has been generated by the repetitive pulsed irradiation of Ge(CH₃)₄ in the presence of excess helium gas and added gases in a slow flow system, kinetically equivalent to a static system. This technique was originally developed for the study of Ge[4p²(¹D₂)] which had eluded direct quantitative kinetic study until recently. Absolute second-order rate constants obtained using signal averaging techniques from data capture of total digitised atomic decay profiles are reported for the removal of Ge(¹S₀) with the following gases (k_R in cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹, 300 K): Xe, 7.1 ± 0.4 × 10⁻¹³; N₂, 4.7 ± 0.6 × 10⁻¹²; O₂, 3.6 ± 0.9 × 10⁻¹¹; NO, 1.5 ± 0.3 × 10⁻¹¹; CO, 3.4 ± 0.5 × 10⁻¹²; N₂O, 4.5 ± 0.5 × 10⁻¹²; CO₂, 1.1 ± 0.3 × 10⁻¹¹; CH₄, 1.7 ± 0.2 × 10⁻¹¹; CF₄, 4.8 ± 0.3 × 10⁻¹²; SF₆, 9.5 ± 1.0 × 10⁻¹³; C₂H₄, 3.3 ± 0.1 × 10⁻¹⁰; C₂H₂, 2.9 ± 0.2 × 10⁻¹⁰; Ge(CH₃)₄, 5.4 ± 0.2 × 10⁻¹¹. The results are compared with previous data for Ge(¹S₀) derived in the single-shot mode where there is general agreement though with some exceptions which are discussed. The present data are also compared with analogous quenching rate data for the collisional removal of the lower lying Ge[4p²(¹D₂)] state (0.883 eV), also characterized by signal averaging methods similar to that described here.     

The fate of oxygen in the quenching of excited singlet states

Measurement of the efficiency of rubrene-sensitizied photooxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran imply that direct formation of singlet oxygen via oxygen quenching of excited rubrene singlets is inefficient. This contrasts with recent publications based upon studies of self-sensitized rubrene photooxidation. The observed inefficiency can be rationalized in terms of the spin-allowed decay of an initially formed ³(T₁ + ¹Δ) complex state to a lower energy ³(T₁ + ³Σ) state prior to complex dissociation.     

Photo-oxidation poly(butadiene); quenching of excited states by nitroxides

The phosphorescence from three model bicyclic enones and those formed in thermally oxidized poly(butadiene) has been shown to be quenched efficiently by a nitroxide [3,3,4,4-tetramethyldiazetine N,N′-dioxide] in CH₂Cl₂:tetrahydrofuran glass at 77K. The Perrin model for static quenching was applied, and the interchromophoric distance for half-quenching found to be ～ 12 A. At room temperature the nitroxide additive inhibited the formation of volatile products from thermally oxidized poly(butadiene) films: results also obeyed the Perrin relationship, pointing to a quenching mechanism of photostabilization. By contrast, a commercial hindered amine stabilizer was found not to act as a quencher of phosphorescence at 77K, and to have a concentration dependence for the reduction in volatile product formation at 298K in PBD films different from the nitroxide, indicating different mechanisms of action.     

Photo-acoustic detection on electronic quenching rate constants of NO excited states

The electronic quenching rate constants of NO A(2)Σ (υ'=0, 1), E(2)Σ (υ'=2, 3, 4) and F(2)Δ (υ'=1, 2, 3) states by gas air are reported. The experiments were carried out by measuring the total fluorescence intensity of A(2)Σ (υ'=0, 1)→X(2)Π (υ″) transition at various air pressures. It gives the Stern-Volmer plots. The quenching rate constants of A(2)Σ (υ'=0, 1) states are obtained from the slope of Stern-Volmer plots and the known radiative lifetime. Based on the primary results of the work, we have measured the quenching rate constants of high excited E(2)Σ (υ'=2, 3, 4), F(2)Δ (υ'=1, 2, 3) states for the first time with the technique of photo-acoustic (PA) spectroscopy. It is shown that the electronic quenching rate constants of NO E (υ') and F (υ') states are in the order of 10(-10)cm(3)/molecules. They are much larger than those of A(2)Σ (υ') state, whose rate constants are in the order of 10(-13)cm(3)/molecules. For E (υ') and F (υ') states, it is also found that the quenching rate constants increase with the vibrational energy levels. Similar result has been reported also for A(2)Σ (υ'≥2) states in existing literatures. The agreement indicates the potential use of PA spectroscopy for measuring the electronic quenching rate.     

Optimal covering of C(60) fullerene by rare gases

Putative global energy minima of clusters formed by the adsorption of rare gases on a C(60) fullerene molecule, C(60)X(N) (X=Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe; N ≤ 70), are found using basin-hopping global optimization in an empirical potential energy surface. The association energies per rare gas atom as a function of N present two noticeable minima for Ne and Ar and just one for Kr and Xe. The minimum with the smallest N is the deepest one and corresponds to an optimal packing monolayer structure; the other one gives a monolayer with maximum packing. For Kr and Xe, optimal and maximum packing structures coincide. By using an isotropic average form of the X-C(60) interaction, we have established the relevance of the C(60) surface corrugation on the cluster structures. Quantum effects are relevant for Ne clusters. The adsorption of these rare gases on C(60) follows patterns that differ significantly from the ones found recently for He by means of experimental and theoretical methods.     

Condensation in free jets: Comparison of rare gases and metals

In view of the recent interest in metal cluster beams obtained from free jet expansions, the paper extends the scaling laws and similarity relations developed for rare gases to metal vapors. The enthalpy of evaporation at 0 K and the density of the solid are used to define for both metals and rare gases, a species-characteristic temperature and length,T _ch andr _ch. This allows to transform the scaling parameter for condensation of a given gas,π=n ₀·d ^q·T ₀ ^(0.25q-1.5) , into a reduced scaling parameter π* by replacingn ₀,d andT ₀ by their respective reduced termsn*=n·r _ch ³ ,d*=d/r _ch, andT*=T/T _ch. As shown before for the rare gases, free jets with the same π* are similar with respect to cluster formation. Based on an analysis of existing experimental data in terms of the respective π*, onset of condensation of metals in free jets is correlated by π* too. For π*<200 the free jets do not produce clusters, while for π*>1,000 clusters exceeding 100 atoms/cluster are being observed.