Stereodynamic Imaging of Bromine Atomic Photofragments Eliminated from 1-Bromo-2-methylbutane Oriented via Hexapole State Selector

Orientation of Chiral Molecules by External Electric Fields: Focus on Photodissociation Dynamics

Molecular orientation is a fundamental requirement to study and control photoinitiated reactions. Experimental setups that make use of hexapolar electric filters combined with slice-ion imaging detectors were employed in these last years to investigate the photodissociation dynamics of chiral molecules. The final goal is the on-the-fly discrimination of oriented enantiomers, revealed by the different angular distributions in photofragment ion-imaging, as predicted from vector correlation studies. Here, we review experiments of photodissociation of oriented chiral molecules, with the aim of presenting limits emerging from these investigations and perspectives toward the achievement of the ultimate objective.

A vector correlation study using a hexapole-oriented molecular beam: photodissociation dynamics of oriented isohaloethane

The photodissociation dynamics of isohaloethane (1-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethane) at 234 nm was studied by a sliced imaging technique combined with an oriented molecular beam. The speed and angular distributions of the competitive products of spin-orbit selected Br and Cl atoms were determined by analysis of the obtained images. The anisotropic parameter, β, was found to be 2.0 ± 0.2 for the excited state of Br(²P_1/2) (Br*) and 1.2 ± 0.3 for the ground state of Br(²P_3/2) (Br). The speed distributions for both Br and Br* exhibited Gaussian-like characteristics. These results indicate that Br atoms were generated by direct formation after excitation through the nσ*(C-Br) potential energy surfaces. In contrast, the angular distributions for the Cl fragments were almost isotropic, while the speed distributions displayed Boltzmann-like characteristics. This suggests that the Cl atoms may form through long-lived parent molecules after photoexcitation. The branching ratio for Br and Cl atom formation was found to be approximately 1.2, that is, Br atom formation occurred preferentially, in contrast to the case of halothane photodissociation reported in our previous work [Che et al., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2020, 124, 5288]. A vector correlation study between the laser polarization axis and the direction of the dipole moment revealed a similar tendency for all photofragments, suggesting that the fragments were formed through a common excited state of isohaloethane. The vector correlation was also studied theoretically for comparison with the experimental results. The angle between the transition dipole moment in photodissociation and the permanent dipole moment was found to be 42 ± 15°. The obtained results indicate that this vector correlation approach combined with an oriented molecular beam is a powerful tool for determining the transition dipole moments in photodissociation.

UV Photodissociation of Halothane in a Focused Molecular Beam: Space-Speed Slice Imaging of Competitive Bond Breaking into Spin-Orbit-Selected Chlorine and Bromine Atoms

A molecular beam of halothane (2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) is focused by a hexapolar electrostatic field and photolyzed by UV laser radiation at 234 nm. Angular and speed distributions of chlorine and bromine photofragments emitted from halothane are measured for both spin-orbit states independently. Although the dissociation energy of the C-Cl bond is larger than that of C-Br, the relative yield of Cl to Br was found to be approximately 2. Measured speed and angular distributions of atomic fragments show distinct kinetic energy release and scattering characteristics: for bromine, observed fast and aligned fragments exhibit a signature of a direct mode of dissociation for the C-Br bond, via the electronically excited potential energy surface denoted nσ*(C-Br), of repulsive nature; for chlorine, a variation in the features is observed for the dissociation pathway through nσ*(C-Cl), from a modality similar to the bromine case, leading to fragments with appreciable kinetic energy release and pronounced directionality, to a modality involving slow products, nearly isotopically distributed. The origin of this behavior can be attributed to nonadiabatic interaction operating between the nσ*(C-Br) and nσ*(C-Cl) surfaces. These results are not only relevant for a detailed understanding of adiabatic versus diabatic coupling mechanisms in the manifold of excited states populated by photon absorption, but they also point out the possibility of selectively inducing specific dissociation pathways, even when involving energetically unfavorable outcomes, such as, in this case, the prevailing rupture of the stronger C-Cl bond against that of the weaker C-Br bond.