Optical Spectra tell the Whole Story...

  • The resonant photodissociation spectrum of FeCO+ shows progressions in both the complex stretch and bending vibrations.
  • The Cobalt Oxide ion has a pair of charge-transfer transitions at relatively low energy, for which we have assigned rotational structure, even when it is hard to do.
    • These spectra reveal the unusual electronic structure of the ground state of the ion and that electrons move from the oxygen to the metal upon photoexcitation (cool).
  • Electrostatic complexes of Cobalt ions all have common features in their spectra, even at high resolution.
  • Rotational Structure of the VAr+ molecule of several bands, yields the equilibrium bond length of the B state of the ion.
  • Vibrational Structure of the ZrO+.(CO2) and ZrO+.(N2) electrostatic complexes and the assignment of the cluster vibrational modes.
  • The spectrum of VXe+ shows isotope shifts and can be fit to find vibrational constants and extrapolated to find dissociation energies. This information revealed some interesting trends in the binding of rare gases to metals.
  • Methane forms electrostatic complexes with even early transition metals to the surprise of some. Here is a spectrum of V+.(CH4)
  • The resonant photodissociation spectrum of NbXe+ is complicated, but has a beautiful isotopic shift pattern, and can be analyzed to give an accurate bond energy among other things
  • The spectrum of NbAr+ shows two band convergences which correspond to two different Nb+ atomic limits
  • A portion of a vibronically 'dense' spectrum: CrFe+. This molecule fall apart in two ways upon optical excitation; The choice of laser color controls whether a Fe+ ion or a Cr+ ion is produced.
  • The C-X transition in CaKr+ as compared to the same transition in CaAr+.
  • An example of a linear <- T-shaped transition: CoN2+
  • A rotationally resolved vibronic band: CoKr+
  • An excited-state dissociation threshold: NiCO2+. This is an easy way to get accurate bond dissociation energies (without calorimetry!)
  • The spin-forbidden optical spectra of different isotopes of the same molecule: ZrAr+. We use this info to determine the nature of the electrostatic bond.

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