IR-photodissociation of size selected molecular clusters and their structures

Infrared photodissociation spectra of (CH₃NH₂) _n clusters were measured fromn=2 ton=6 near the monomer absorption of the C-N stretching mode at 1044 cm^?1 using a cw-CO₂ laser. The clusters were size-selected by scattering from a helium beam. The spectrum of cold dimers shows a red (1038 cm^?1) and a blue (1048 cm^?1) shifted peak which is attributed to the non-equivalent position of the C-N in the open dimer structure. The larger clusters exhibit only one peak between 1045.4 cm^?1 and 1046.0 cm^?1 caused by the equivalent position of the C-N in the cyclic structures of the larger clusters. Structure calculations confirm these results. Secondly, the mixed complexes C₂H₄-CH₃COCH₃ and C₂H₄-(CH₃COCH₃)₂ were investigated. The dimer spectrum, measured around the monomer frequency of the out-of-plane bending mode of C₂H₄ at 949 cm^?1, shows two peaks at 946.2 cm^?1 and 961.3 cm^?1. This splitting is attributed to two different isomers that are found in configuration calculations. A similar behaviour is found for the trimer.