Multipole-Bound Molecular Negative Ions

 Within the framework of a simple electrostatic model, as compared to recent experimental results, we here discuss the stability of very weakly bound molecular negative ions. In contrast with the case of conventional valence anions, the excess electron is then located in a very diffuse orbital and is mainly bound by electrostatic dipolar, quadrupolar, and polarization forces, at large distances from the neutral molecular core. By fitting a single repulsion parameter of the model to the available experimental data, it is possible to make quantitative predictions of the excess-electron binding energies in these species. Critical values of the dipole moment, quadrupole moment or polarizability required for the observation of stable multipole-bound negative ions are predicted and compared to available experimental data and ab initio calculations. Received October 24, 2001; accepted for publication November 16, 2001