Doppler-limited dye laser excitation spectroscopy of DCF

The dye laser excitation spectrum of the vibronic transition of DCF was observed between 17 200 and 17 400 cm⁻¹ with the Doppler-limited resolution. DCF was produced by the reaction of microwave-discharged CF₄ with CD₃F. The observed spectra, which were found to be nearly free of perturbations, were assigned to 858 transitions of the K′_a − K″_a = 4−5, 3−4, 2−3, 1−2, 0−1, 1−0, 2−1, 3−2, 3−3, 2−2, 1−1, 0−0, 2−0, and 0−2 subbands, and were analyzed to determine the rotational constants and centrifugal distortion constants for both the and à states. The rotational constants of DCF thus determined were combined with those of HCF to calculate the structural parameters for this molecule: r(C---H) = 1.138 Å, r(C---F) = 1.305 Å, and HCF = 104.1° for the ground state, and r(C---H) = 1.063 Å, r(C---F) = 1.308 Å, and HCF = 123.8° for the excited à state.