Photoelectron spectra of ethylene and of the six deuterated derivatives

The photoelectron spectra of C₂H₄ and of six deuterated molecules of ethylene — C₂D₄, C₂D₃H, C₂H₃D, cis-C₂H₂D₂, trans-C₂H₂D₂ and gem-C₂H₂D₂ — have been recorded with the 584-Å resonance line of He. The adiabatic ionization potentials of the X²B_3u and the ²B_3g states of the seven isotopic components have been determined with an accuracy of about 7 meV. The ionization potentials of the other excited electronic states have been measured with a lower accuracy owing to a less well defined onset. The measured ionization potentials of C₂H₄ are 10.514 eV, 12.431 eV, 14.4₃ eV, 15.7₄ eV and 18.7 eV. The vibrational structure of the first electronic band shows that the two normal modes ν₂ (symmetric CC stretching) and ν₃ (symmetric HCH bending) are excited simultaneously. The measured vibrational frequencies show no abnormal isotopic effect if the assignment given in the literature for the ν₂ and ν₃ modes in C₂H₄⁺ are reversed and if a stronger excitation of the ν₃ symmetric bending mode in the least deuterated compounds is assumed. The vibrational modes most strongly excited in the second and third electronic bands are ν₁ (symmetric CH stretching) and ν₃, and in the fourth band ν₃.