Laser induced photodissociation of C2F5I. Radiative lifetime of the metastable iodine atom (2P12)

Excited iodine atoms I(²P_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}) are formed by laser irradiation of C₂F₅I at 2950 Å. The mean radiative lifetime τ of these metastable atoms and their bimolecular rate constant k₂ for deactivation in collissions with C₂F₅I were measured to be: τ = 108 ± 10 ms; k₂ = (1.8 ± 0.1) × 10^?17 cm³/molec s.     

Comparison of reactivity of Ar(3P0) and Ar(3P2) metastable states. Rate constants for quenching by Kr and CO

A simple method is described for studying the reactions of metastable Ar(³P₀) and Ar(³P₂) atoms separately in a discharge-flow system. CO and Kr quench these states with rate constants in the ratio k₀ (CO)/k₂ (CO) = 8±1 and k₂ (Kr)/k₀(Kr) = 18±2.     

The rate of the reactions of C2O radicals with H and H2

The rate constants for the reactions C₂O + H → products (1) and C₂O + H₂ → products (2) have been determined at room temperature by means of laser-induced fluorescence detection of C₂O radicals, generated either by the KrF excimer laser photolysis Of C₃O₂, or by the reaction of C₃O₂ with O atoms. Values of k₁ = (3.7 ± 1.0) × 10^?11 cm³ s^?1 and k₂ = (7 ± 3) × 10^?13 cm³ s^?1 were obtained.     

Temperature dependence of the reaction rate constants for O(3P) atoms with C2H4, C3H6 and NO(M = N2O), determined by a modulation technique

Rate constants for the reaction of O(³P) atoms with C₃H₄, C₃H₆ and NO(M = N₂O) have been measured over the temperature range 300–392°K using a modulation-phase shift technique. The Arrhenius expressions obtained are:C₂H₄, k₂ = 3.37 × 10⁹ exp[?(1270 ± 200)/RT]liter mole^?1 sec^?1,C₃H₆, k₂ = 2.08 × 10⁹ exp[?(0 ± 300)/RT]liter mole^?1 sec^?1,NO(M = N₂O), k₁ = 9.6 × 10⁹ exp[(900 ± 200/RT]liter² mole^?2 sec^?1.These temperature dependencies of k₂ are in good agreement with recent flash photolysis-resonance flourescence measurements, although lower than previous literature values.     

A generalised London formula for dispersion coefficients

A generalised London formula is presented for the one-centre calculation of dispersion coefficients of spherically symmetric atoms in S-states in terms of the static multipole polarisabilities and the related orbital excitation energies of the individual atoms. The results obtained for the C₆, C₈, C₁₀ coefficients for H₂ and for the C₆ coefficients for He₂, Li₂, Be₂ and their mixtures are highly encouraging.     

Broadening and shift of thalliumnP 1/2,3/2 states (n=6–10) perturbed by noble gases

Impact broadening and shift of the transitions Tl 6P _1/2?nP _1/2,3/2 (n=7, 9, 10) and 6P _3/2?9P _{1/2, 3/2} are measured by high resolution Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy. For excited states with small principal quantum numbers the results are in accord with values obtained fromC ₆-C ₈-C ₁₂ potentials calculated semiempirically. For intermediate principal quantum numbers the experiments show that the elastic scattering of the valence electron at the noble gas atom must be considered additionally. The experimental shift rates ofP _1/2 states are found to be larger than ofP _3/2 states. Furthermore, the line shifts of the one- and two-photon transitions concerning the 6P _1/2, 6P _3/2, 9P _1/2, 9P _3/2, 7S _1/2 states show that the contribution of the lower level of the transition must be considered too.     

A theoretical comparison of the lowest-lying singlet and triplet states of H2CBe and of HCBeH

The low-lying singlet and triplet states of H₂CBe and HCBeH are examined using ab inito molecular orbital theory. In agreement with earlier results, the lowest-lying structure of H₂CBe has C_2v symmetry and is a triplet with one π electron (³ B₁). The results presented here suggest that the lowest-energy singlet structure is the (¹B₁) open-shell singlet, also with C_2v symmetry, at least 2.5 kcal/mol higher in energy. The singlet C_2v structure with two π electrons (¹A₁) is 15.9 kcal/mol higher than ³B₁. All of these structures are bound with respect to the ground state of methylene and the beryllium atom. In HCBeH, linear equilibrium geometries are found for the triplet (³Σ) and singlet (¹Δ) states. The triplet is more stable than the singlet (¹Δ) by 35.4 kcal/mol, and is only 2.9 kcal/mol higher in energy than triplet H₂ CBe. Since the transition structure connecting these two triplet molecules is found to be 50.2 kcal/mol higher in energy than H₂ CBe, both triplet equilibrium species might exist independently. The harmonic vibrational frequencies of all structures are also reported.     

Long-range molecular states dissociating to the three or four lowest asymptotes for the ten heteronuclear diatomic alkali molecules

Long-range energy matrix elements have been calculated in the multipolar expansion approximation for all the molecular states dissociating to the three or four lowest asymptotes for the molecules LiNa, LiK, LiRb, LiCs, NaK, NaRb, NaCs, KRb, KCs and RbCs using the semi-empirical perturbative model we proposed recently. Two different assumptions have been investigated: including or excluding the spin-orbit effects within each atom. Full numerical results are presented for NaK and LiCs which have been chosen as examples. For the ten molecules in the non-interacting assumption the long-range coefficients C₆ and C₈ have been found for each state when neglecting atomic spin-orbit effects while the fitted value C^*₆ and C^*₈ are presented for each state when including atomic spin-orbit effects. When considering the interacting states, those dissociating to ns + n′s and to ns + 5d(Cs) are seen to be slightly perturbed while the states dissociating to ns + n′p and to np + n′s are significantly perturbed. The wavefunctions for the interacting ³Σ⁺, ³Π, 0⁺, 0⁻, 1, 2 states for the molecules NaK and LiCs are presented for various internuclear distances.     

Broken orbital symmetry and the description of valence hole states in the tetrahedral [CrO4]2− anion

The localization of ligand-based valence holes in the tetrahedral complex ion [CrO₄]^2? in a crystalline environment is studied by SCF calculations on the hole states, with progressively less restrictions on the spatial symmetry of the molecular orbitals. The final wavefunctions are obtained by constructing, from the symmetry broken SCF solutions, wavefunctions that exhibit again the proper transformation properties under the operations of T _d . The crystal environment of the [CrO₄]^2? anion is represented by a point charge model. In contrast with the situation for core hole states, the projection afterwards into T _d symmetry is important. The final ionization energies, which are obtained from projected C _3v adapted SCF solutions, are reduced considerably (?3 eV) with respect to the T _d ΔSCF results, but the ordering of the states has not changed essentially. The calculated ionization energies compare favourably with results of XPS experiments on Na₂CrO₄. The evaluation of the energies of projected symmetry broken SCF solutions requires the calculation of hamiltonian matrix elements between determinantal wavefunctions built from mutually non-orthogonal orbital sets. An efficient method for the calculation of such matrix elements is presented.     

Long-range interaction in the D and D′ states of H2

The interaction energy between two hydrogen atoms in the D and D′ ¹Π_u states of the hydrogen molecule has been calculated for large internuclear distances (12 ? R ? 25 bohr). The variational method and a very flexible trial wave-function were used. The results indicate that for the states under consideration the Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory with the multipole expansion of the interaction hamiltonian gives reliable results only for R > 25 bohr i.e. in the region where the interaction energies are practically negligible.     

Ab initio calculation of the first order term of the intermolecular energy near the van der Waals minimum

The first order term of the intermolecular energies between two hydrogen molecules and between Li⁺ and H₂ has been computed by three different methods: two of them are based on a perturbative procedure, including or neglecting the overlap between the orbitals of the interacting molecules or atoms in the calculation of the electrostatic and exchange terms. We can then study the effect of the overlap on each of these terms. The third method is the SCF supermolecule treatment which provides results in very good agreement with the perturbative procedure including the overlap. TheT configuration in the case of two hydrogen molecules and theC _2v configuration for Li⁺+H₂ are stable with respect to the first order term.     

General properties of the electronic structure of alkali metal clusters and Ia-IIa mixed clusters

The results of the systematic ab-initio CI investigation of neutral and charged Li _n , Na _n , BeLi _k and MgNa _k clusters are summarized and analyzed. The general characteristic features of the electronic structure are pointed out:a) The participation of the atomic orbitals, which are empty in Ia and IIa metal atoms, allows for a higher valency of these atoms in clusters.b) Jahn-Teller and pseudo-Jahn-Teller effects strongly influence the electronic and geometric structure of clusters.c) Deformations of cluster geometry can lead to biradicaloid structures with higher spin multiplicity in their ground states.d) The peculiarities of the electronic structures of clusters can be deduced from the presence of many “surface” atoms. The theoretical results agree with experimental data presently available and they are useful for interpretation of the experimental findings.     

Rotational and vibrational distributions of N2(C 3Πu) excited by state-selected Ar(3P2) and Ar(3P0) metastable atoms

The ESR method is used to study the oxidation kinetics of the CH₃, C₂H₅, n-C₄H₉, i-C₄H₉, s-C₄H₉, t-C₄H₉, n-C₆H₁₃, C₆H₁₁, C₆H₅CH₂, CH₃C₆H₄CH₂, and C₆H₅CH₂CH₂ radicals in methanol matrix at 87 K. The reaction kinetics are shown to be describable in terms of a time-dependent rate constant k(t). The contribution from the matrix relaxation to k(t) has been determined. The oxidation rate and the shape of the kinetic curve are independent of the type of the radical. Models interpreting the experimental data are discussed.     

A new method for the calculation of vibrational force constants. Application to H2

A new method for the quantum mechanical calculation of vibrational force constants is presented. This method is applied to the calculation of the vibrational force constant of H₂, using a completely optimized wavefunction constructed from a single gaussian orbital. The value of the force constant obtained using this method is k₀ = 0.422341088751 au (= 6.5754 × 10⁵ dyne/cm), compared to the value of k₀ = 0.42234079S380 au (= 6.5754 × 10⁵ dyne/cm) obtained using an analytic method, and the experimental value of k_e = 0.3692 au (= 5.748 × 10⁵ dyne/cm).     

Carbon-13 NMR and CNDO/2 studies of phenoxachalcogenins

The ¹³C chemical shifts of the carbon atoms in dibenzodioxin, phenoxathiin, phenoxaselenin and phenoxatellurin were determined in CDCl₃ solutions and assigned. The total (σ and π) charge densitites on the carbon atoms calculated by the CNDO/2 method without consideration of d-orbitals correlated well with the experimentally determined shifts. Rather good agreement was also found between experimental shifts and shifts calculated from ¹³C data for phenyl methyl chalcogenides on the assumption that a phenoxachalcogenin molecule can be assembled from C₆H₅O and C₆H₅X groups. Only the shifts of the carbon atoms bonded to the heavier chalcogen atoms show an upfield trend in the sequence O, S, Se, Te. All other shifts exhibit a downfield trend. These trends are rationalized in terms of the electronegativities, abilities to participate in π-interactions, and anisotropy effects of the chalcogen atoms.     

The problem of unphysical states in the theory of intermolecular interactions

It was shown by Claverie that the interactions between atoms and molecules make unphysical electronic solutions of the Schradinger equation accessible in perturbation calculations of intermolecular interactions, accessible in the sense that the perturbation expansion is likely to converge to an unphysical solution if it converges at all. This is a difficult problem because there are generally an infinite number of unphysical states with energies below that of the physical ground state. We have carried out configuration interaction calculations on LiH of both physical and unphysical states. They show that avoided crossings occur between physical and unphysical energy levels as the interaction between the two atoms is turned on, i.e. as the expansion parameter is increased from 0 to 1. The avoided crossing for the lowest energy state occurs for < 0.8, implying that the perturbation expansion will diverge for larger values of . The behavior of the energy levels as functions of . is shown to be understandable in terms of a two-state model. In the remainder of the paper, we concentrate on designing effective Hamiltonians which have physical solutions identical to those of the Schrödinger equation, but which have no unphysical states of lower energy than the physical ground state. We find that we must incorporate ideas from the Hirschfelder-Silbey perturbation theory, as modified by Polymeropoulos and Adams, to arrive finally at an effective Hamiltonian which promises to have the desired properties, namely, that all unphysical states be higher in energy than the physical bound states, that the first and higher order corrections to the energy vanish in the limitR = . that the leading terms of the asymptotic 1/R expansion of the energy be given correctly in second order, and that the overlap between the zeroth order wave function and the corresponding eigenfunction of the effective Hamiltonian be close to one.     

Ab initio calculation of the potential surfaces for low-lying valence electronic states of the C2H radical

The results of an extensive CI treatment for the three lowest-lying electronic states 1² A′, 2² A′ and 1² A″ of C₂H are reported. Two-dimensional C-C stretching/bending potential surfaces for these species are calculated. Electronic dipole and transition moments are computed as a function of the bond angle and the C-C bond length. The results serve as a starting point in a theoretical analysis of the rovibronic structure of the long-wavelength spectra of C₂H.     

Molecular states formed by ion beam neutralization of [C2H2]+ and [C2H3]+ on metal targets

A combination of charge-stripping and beam-scattering techniques has been used to study the molecular states formed when a fast beam of [C₂H₂]⁺ and [C₂H₃]⁺ in several isotopic forms are neutralized by electron transfer from metal target atoms (K, Na, Mg and Zn). For [C₂H₃]⁺ the isotopic compositions and relative abundances of product states were found to be insensitive to the method of ion preparation (electron impact and chemical ionization). Ground state neutrals are formed in partial abundance when Mg or Zn is used as a target atom. With low ionization potential targets (K and Na) excitel dissociative states of C₂H₂ and C₂H₃ are formed as major beam constituents. For these states decomposition products have been identified and fragmentation energies measured. The excited states of C₂H₂ and C₂H₃ lie alout 6.8 eV and 2.9 eV, respectively, above their stable ground states. The discussion focuses on the possible identity of the excited states and their structural relations to the precursor ions.     

Vibrational co-assignment of the calculated frequencies in the ground and two lowest excited electronic states

The feasibility of co-assignments of the vibrational frequencies in the ground and T₁ and S₁ excited electronic states has been demonstrated for trans-C₂O₂F₂. Matrices analogous to the Duschinsky matrix were used to juxtapose the vibrational frequencies of this molecule calculated at the CASPT2/cc-pVTZ level in the ground S₀ and excited triplet T₁ and singlet S₁ electronic states. The calculations suggest that the calculated CC and CF stretching frequencies of trans-C₂O₂F₂ in these three electronic states should be mutually reassigned in comparison with the previous interpretation.     

Copper position in type-I Ba8Cu4Si42 clathrate

Local structure of Cu in a type-I Ba₈Cu₄Si₄₂ clathrate has been investigated by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, Cu K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and theoretical calculation. It is found that XANES spectra cannot be explained by the substitution of Cu atoms at Si16i, and Si24k positions. Our calculations show that the binding energies of the Si atom in Si16i, Si24k and Si6c positions are 9.000, 9.495 and 8.911 eV, respectively. Both experimental and theoretical results support that Cu atoms in the type-I Ba₈Cu₄Si₄₂ clathrate, as a doped element, prefer to occupy the least-binding Si, i.e., the Si6c sites. No structural change between 112 and 300 K was observed and the (100)-faceted cubic crystal has negligible distortion/ordering according to transmission electron microscopy.