The intriguing near-ultraviolet photochemistry of H2Te

Using anisotropy measurements from A-band photodissociation to interrogate the excited states of H2Se

The A-band photodissociation of H2Se has been studied by measuring H-atom velocity-aligned Doppler spectroscopy (VADS) spectra at five wavelengths from 210 to 266 nm. These spectra have been subsequently simulated by assigning cross-sections and anisotropy β values to the two SeH spin-orbit exit channels. While the SeH((2)Π3/2) exit channel has a β value close to -1 throughout the studied wavelength range, the spin-orbit excited SeH((2)Π1/2) exit channel's β value switches from near -1 to near +0.5 when the photolysis wavelength increases from 210 to 266 nm. These results have been examined in the light of available ab initio calculations. Throughout the studied wavelengths, the contribution from excitation to the 1(1)B1 state predominates and provides the source of the -1 β value. In order to account for the +0.5 β value, it is necessary to assume that the 2(1)A1 state as well as the 4A' and 5A' states (both originating from a (3)B1 state) also contribute at short wavelengths. More interestingly, at the longer wavelength end (266 nm), contribution of a +0.5 β value from the 3A' state (originating from a (3)A2 state) exceeds the contribution of the -1 β value for the SeH((2)Π1/2) channel.

Nonadiabatic photodissociation dynamics in (HI)2 induced by intracluster collisions

The sequential photodissociation dynamics of (HI)2 is studied by means of a nonadiabatic wave packet treatment starting from the I*-HI complex. The model reproduces the main experimental findings for photolysis with 266 nm radiation. The results confirm that some of the H atoms dissociated from the I*-HI complex deactivate the I* atom through a HI* intracluster collision which induces an I*-->I electronically nonadiabatic transition. As a consequence, these H fragments become very fast by acquiring nearly all the I* excitation energy, equivalent to the I*I spin-orbit splitting. A most interesting result is the high production of bound I2 fragments in highly excited rovibrational states in the photolysis, indicating that the H dissociation is mainly direct.

Heavy hydrides: H2Te ultraviolet photochemistry

The room-temperature ultraviolet absorption spectrum of H2Te has been recorded. Unlike other group-6 hydrides, it displays a long-wavelength tail that extends to 400 nm. Dissociation dynamics have been examined at photolysis wavelengths of 266 nm (which lies in the main absorption feature) and 355 nm (which lies in the long-wavelength tail) by using high-n Rydberg time-of-flight spectroscopy to obtain center-of-mass translational energy distributions for the channels that yield H atoms. Photodissociation at 355 nm yields TeH(2Pi1/2) selectively relative to the TeH(2Pi3/2) ground state. This is attributed to the role of the 3A' state, which has a shallow well at large R(H-TeH) and correlates to H+TeH(2Pi1/2). Note that the 2Pi1/2 state is analogous to the 2P1/2 spin-orbit excited state of atomic iodine, which is isoelectronic with TeH. The 3A' state is crossed at large R only by 2A", with which it does not interact. The character of 3A' at large R is influenced by a strong spin-orbit interaction in the TeH product. Namely, 2Pi1/2 has a higher degree of spherical symmetry than does 2Pi3/2 (recall that I(2P1/2) is spherically symmetric), and consequently 2Pi1/2 is not inclined to form either strongly bonding or antibonding orbitals with the H atom. The 3A'<--X transition dipole moment dominates in the long-wavelength region and increases with R. Structure observed in the absorption spectrum in the 380-400 nm region is attributed to vibrations on 3A'. The main absorption feature that is peaked at approximately 240 nm might arise from several excited surfaces. On the basis of the high degree of laboratory system spatial anisotropy of the fragments from 266 nm photolysis, as well as high-level theoretical studies, the main contribution is believed to be due to the 4A" surface. The 4A"<--X transition dipole moment dominates in the Franck-Condon region, and its polarization is in accord with the experimental observations. An extensive secondary photolysis (i.e., of nascent TeH) is observed at 266 and 355 nm, and the corresponding spectral features are assigned. Analyses of the c.m. translational energy distributions yield bond dissociation energies D0. For H2Te and TeH, these are 65.0+/-0.1 and 63.8+/-0.4 kcalmol, respectively, in good agreement with predictions that use high-level relativistic theory.

On the ultraviolet photodissociation of H2Te

The photodissociation of H(2)Te through excitation in the first absorption band is investigated by means of multireference spin-orbit configuration interaction (CI) calculations. Bending potentials for low-lying electronic states of H(2)Te are obtained in C(2v) symmetry for Te-H distances fixed at the ground state equilibrium value of 3.14a(0), as well as for the minimum energy path constrained to R(1)=R(2). Asymmetric cuts of potential energy surfaces for excited states (at R(1)=3.14a(0) and theta;=90.3 degrees ) are obtained for the first time. It is shown that vibrational structure in the 380-400 nm region of the long wavelength absorption tail is due to transitions to 3A('), which has a shallow minimum at large HTe-H separations. Transitions to this state are polarized in the molecular plane, and this state converges to the excited TeH((2)Pi(1/2))+H((2)S) limit. These theoretical data are in accord with the selectivity toward TeH((2)Pi(1/2)) relative to TeH((2)Pi(3/2)) that has been found experimentally for 355 nm H(2)Te photodissociation. The calculated 3A(')<--XA(') transition dipole moment increases rapidly with HTe-H distance; this explains the observation of 3A(') vibrational structure for low vibrational levels, despite unfavorable Franck-Condon factors. According to the calculated vertical energies and transition moment data, the maximum in the first absorption band at approximately 245 nm is caused by excitation to 4A("), which has predominantly 2(1)A(") ((1)B(1) in C(2v) symmetry) character.