Rotational spectrum of trans-trans diethyl ether in the ground and three excited vibrational states

We report the results of a comprehensive reinvestigation of the rotational spectrum of diethyl ether based on broadband millimetre-wave spectra recently recorded at The Ohio State University and in Warsaw, covering the frequency region 108-366 GHz. The data set for the ground vibrational state of trans-trans diethyl ether has been extended to over 2000 lines and improved spectroscopic constants have been determined. Rotational spectra in the first excited vibrational states of the three lowest vibrational modes of trans-trans-diethyl ether, ν₂₀, ν₃₉, and ν₁₂ have been assigned. The v₂₀ = 1 and v₃₉ = 1 states are near 100 cm⁻¹ in vibrational term value and are coupled by a strong c-axis Coriolis interaction, which gives rise to many spectacular manifestations in the rotational spectrum. All of these effects have been successfully fitted for a dataset comprising over 3000 transitions, leading to precise determination of the energy difference between these states, (ΔE/hc)=10.400222(5) cm⁻¹. A newly developed software package for assignment and analysis of broadband spectra is described and made available.     

High-resolution infrared spectra of NCCN and NCCN

High-resolution spectra of ¹⁵N¹²C¹²C¹⁵N and ¹⁴N¹³C¹³C¹⁴N have been measured and analyzed from 200 to 3600 cm⁻¹. All the vibrational levels below 900 cm⁻¹ have been observed and characterized. The Fermi resonance between ν₂ and 2ν₄ has been studied and the resonance constant has been determined for several cases. Several Σ⁻ states have been directly observed for the first time for each isotopomer, the (0001111)0f, (0011111)0f, and (0002222)0f states. The pattern of the energy levels for clusters of l-type resonance coupled levels, such as 0001131,3, has been determined for cyanogen for the first time. Among other things this involved the determination of the vibrational l-type resonance constant, r₄₅. Many of the power series constants, α_i and x_ij, and higher order constants have been determined.     

Vibration-rotation interaction in HCNO caused by accidental resonances and enhanced by the quasilinearity of the molecule

The recent assignment of the vibrational spectrum of the quasilinear molecule HCNO revealed several near coincidences between vibrational energy levels involving the two bending modes, ν₄ (skeletal bending mode) and ν₅ (HCN-bending mode), and the lowest-lying stretching mode, ν₃ (NO stretching mode). By considering the correlation between the energy levels of a linear and a bent molecular model of HCNO, it is seen that resonance interactions which would be of third or higher order in a linear molecule Hamiltonian would be of first or second order in the Hamiltonian of a bent molecule, and thus might be significant in the quasilinear molecule HCNO. In this way we were able to identify the type of observed interaction occurring between three pairs of nearly coincident levels, (00010, 00002), (00020, 00012), and (00100, 00004). Anomalous centrifugal distortion effects had been observed and reported earlier for the pure rotational transitions arising from molecules in the 00010, 00020, and 00002 levels. Rotational transitions arising from molecules in the 00004 and 00100 vibrational states of HCNO and the 00100 state of DCNO are reported here for the first time. For two pairs of levels, (00010, 00002) and (00100, 00004), we could determine the magnitude of the coefficients of the interaction matrix elements from an analysis of the centrifugal distortion effects.     

The electronic absorption spectrum of the CNO free radical in the gas phase

A new band with heads at 796.3.3 and 7893.1 A has been found during the flash photolysis of 3-methyl-4-oximinoisoxazol-5(411)-one. By comparison with earlier work in a neon matrix. and on the basis of a partial rotational analysis, the band is assigned as the 0 0 band of the A²x⁺-X²11_i transition of the CNO free radical. Preliminary mlecular constant are given.     

New developments in millimeter wave spectroscopy

In the past few years millimeter and submillimeter wave spectroscopy has been the backbone for modern molecular line astronomy. The detection of unstable and high-temperature molecular species in the interstellar environment has stimulated the development of methods of detecting molecular ions, radicals and unstable molecules in the laboratory by means of millimeter wave technology. Some of the recent experimental advances as well as the developments which have occurred in the analysis of high resolution rotational and vibrational spectra with regard to understanding molecular dynamics will be discussed.     

The millimeter wave rotational spectrum of N-cyanomethanimine,CH2NCN

The rotational spectrum of the short-lived species N-cyanomethanimine, CH₂NCN, has been measured in the frequency range 100–250 GHz. The observed transitions allow the determination of the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants and the nitrogen quadrupole coupling constants for both nitrogen nuclei. The N-cyanomethanimine spectrum was measured directly in the products of the pyrolysis of trimethylenetetrazole. The rotational constants obtained are A = 63 372.995(11) MHz, B = 5 449.347 90(28) MHz, and C = 5 009.559 86(29) MHz; the quadrupole coupling constants are χ_aa = 2.057(39) MHz and χ_bb ? χ_cc = ?7.205(21) MHz for the imine nitrogen, and χ_aa = ?3.264(33) MHz and χ_bb ? χ_cc = ?1.630(18) MHz for the cyano-group nitrogen. The accurate constants obtained allow the calculation of the line position and hyperfine structure of any rotational transition appropriate for a radioastronomical search.     

The Ground State Spectroscopic Parameters and Equilibrium Structure of PD3

Infrared spectra of PD₃ have been measured in the 20-320 cm⁻¹ range and in the region of the ν₂/ν₄ and ν₁/ν₃ fundamental bands near 750 and 1690 cm⁻¹, respectively, with a resolution of ca. 0.0025 cm⁻¹. Furthermore, submillimeter-wave spectra covering the J=4-3, 13-12, and 14-13 clusters in the vibrational ground state were recorded. The observed ΔJ=+1 rotational lines were augmented by about 5500 ground state combination differences formed from transitions belonging to the fundamental bands. Of these, 1300 involved perturbation-allowed lines with ΔK≠0. These data and observations taken from the literature were appropriately weighted and fitted to 14 ground state molecular constants. The A and B reductions of the rotational Hamiltonian were found to be equivalent. Improved effective ground state and equilibrium structures were determined for both PH₃ and PD₃; the equilibrium structures, r_e (PH)=141.1607(83) pm and α_e (HPH)=93.4184(95)° and r_e (PD)=141.1785(57) pm and α_e (DPD)=93.4252(68)°, are in good agreement.     

Millimeter wave rotational spectrum of deuterofulminic acid,DCNO, in excited vibrational states

Rotational transitions of DCNO in the vibrational states 00002, 00003, 00020, and 00011 have been measured and analyzed. These results complete the presentation of assigned millimeter wave transitions of DCNO.The analysis of rotational l-type resonance in the 00002 and 00020 states is more satisfactory in the case of DCNO than in that of HCNO due to the absence of accidental resonances. The values obtained for the vibrational anharmonicity constant g₅₅ for 00002 and 00003 agree within experimental error with those found from the vibrational spectrum.An ambiguity in the assignment of the symmetry of the transitions in the four components of the 00011 vibrational state is discussed.     

A digitally controlled diode-laser spectrometer: Infrared spectrum of the ν4 band of acetonitrile between 890 and 960 cm−1

The ν₄ vibration-rotation spectrum of acetonitrile (CH₃CN) has been measured using a newly constructed diode-laser spectrometer controlled digitally by a microprocessor. The spectrum was observed in the range between 890 and 960 cm^?1 with Doppler-limited resolution. The P and R branches of the ν₄ fundamental band have been assigned up to K = 9. A small anomaly found in the high K lines is being explained by an anharmonic resonance with the v₈ = 3³ state. The determined interaction constant is small, but significant.