The formaldehyde cation: Rovibrational energy level structure and Coriolis interaction near the adiabatic ionization threshold

Rotationally resolved pulsed-field-ionization zero-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectra of the 0⁰, 6¹ and 4¹ vibrational levels of the ground electronic state of the formaldehyde cation were recorded using a resonant three-color three-photon excitation scheme. The first adiabatic ionization energy of CH₂O (87793.33(1.30) cm⁻¹) and the rigid-rotor rotational constants (A⁺ = 8.874(8) cm⁻¹, B⁺ = 1.342(15) cm⁻¹, C⁺ = 1.148(18) cm⁻¹) of the vibronic ground state of CH₂O⁺ were derived. A strong a-type Coriolis interaction between the 6¹ and 4¹ vibrational levels was observed. The Coriolis coupling parameter and the deperturbed fundamental vibrational frequencies of the in-plane-rocking mode ν₆ and the out-of-plane bending mode ν₄ were determined to be 8.70(10) cm⁻¹, 823.67(30) cm⁻¹ and 1036.50(30) cm⁻¹, respectively. The intensity distribution of the photoelectron spectra was analyzed in the realm of a simple photoionization model.