Rotational and vibrational structure in the 288 nm band system of the FeCl2 radical

The laser excitation spectrum of the 288 nm band system of FeCl₂, formed in a free-jet expansion, has been recorded at a rotational temperature of approximately 10 K. Vibronic transitions are observed from the ground state to two close-lying excited electronic states that differ in inversion (g, u) parity. Two extensive progressions in the symmetric stretching vibration have been identified, referred to as Progressions A and B. The main features of Progression A, which is based on the band, are allowed transitions to the excited electronic state of ungerade symmetry. Progression B is built on the band and consists of vibronically induced transitions to the gerade excited state. A substantial decrease in the symmetric stretching vibrational wavenumber is observed on excitation . Local perturbations are found to cause relative shifts between the different isotopomers. Several vibronic bands have been recorded and analysed at rotational resolution for the three isotopomers Fe³⁵Cl₂, Fe³⁵Cl³⁷Cl, and Fe³⁷Cl₂ in natural abundance. All bands show perpendicular rotational structure of a linear molecule, and have been unambiguously assigned to a Ω = 5-4 transition, consistent with the inverted ⁵Δ_g ground state predicted by ab initio and DFT calculations. The zero-point averaged FeCl bond length is determined to be in the upper and lower electronic states. The results show that the molecule is linear in both states.