IR−UV Double Resonance Spectroscopy of Acetylene in the ÃAu nν3‘+ν4‘ and nν3‘+ν6‘ (n = 2, 3) Ungerade Vibrational States

Probing the predissociated levels of the S1 state of acetylene via H-atom fluorescence and photofragment fluorescence action spectroscopy

We report two new experimental schemes to obtain rotationally resolved high-resolution spectra of predissociated S₁ acetylene levels in the 47 000-47 300 cm^-1 energy region (∼1200 cm^-1 above the predissociation threshold). The two new detection schemes are compared to several other detection schemes (employed at similar laser power, molecular beam temperature, and number of signal averages) that have been used in our laboratory to study predissociated S₁ acetylene levels, both in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the resultant spectra and experimental simplicity. In the first method, H-atoms from the predissociated S₁ acetylene levels are probed by two-photon laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The H-atoms are pumped to the 3d level by the two-photon resonance transition at 205.14 nm. The resulting 3d-2p fluorescence (654.5 nm) is collected by a photomultiplier. The S/N of the H-atom fluorescence action spectrum is consistently better by ∼3× than that of the more widely used H-atom resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) detection. Laser alignment is also considerably easier in H-atom fluorescence detection than H-atom REMPI detection due to the larger number-density of molecules that can be used in fluorescence vs. REMPI detection schemes. In the second method, fluorescence from electronically excited C₂ and C₂H photofragments of S₁ acetylene is detected. In contrast to the H-atom detection schemes, the detected C₂ and C₂H photofragments are produced by the same UV laser as is used for the à - X ̃ acetylene excitation. As a result, laser alignment is greatly simplified for the photofragment fluorescence detection scheme, compared to both H-atom detection schemes. Using the photofragment fluorescence detection method, we are able to obtain action spectra of predissociated S₁ acetylene levels with S/N ∼2× better than the HCCH REMPI detection and ∼10× better than H-atom and HCCH LIF detection schemes.

Probing cis-trans isomerization in the S1 state of C2H2 via H-atom action and hot band-pumped IR-UV double resonance spectroscopies

We report novel experimental strategies that should prove instrumental in extending the vibrational and rotational assignments of the S1 state of acetylene, C2H2, in the region of the cis-trans isomerization barrier. At present, the assignments are essentially complete up to ∼500 cm(-1) below the barrier. Two difficulties arise when the assignments are continued to higher energies. One is that predissociation into C2H + H sets in roughly 1100 cm(-1) below the barrier; the resulting quenching of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) reduces its value for recording spectra in this region. The other difficulty is that tunneling through the barrier causes a staggering in the K-rotational structure of isomerizing vibrational levels. The assignment of these levels requires data for K values up to at least 3. Given the rotational selection rule K' - ℓ('') = ± 1, such data must be obtained via excited vibrational levels of the ground state with ℓ('') > 0. In this paper, high resolution H-atom resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectra are demonstrated to contain predissociated bands which are almost invisible in LIF spectra, while preliminary data using a hyperthermal pulsed nozzle show that ℓ('') = 2 states can be selectively populated in a jet, giving access to K' = 3 states in IR-UV double resonance.

Simplified Cartesian basis model for intrapolyad emission intensities in the bent-to-linear electronic transition of acetylene

The acetylene emission spectrum from the trans-bent electronically excited à state to the linear ground electronic X̃ state has attracted considerable attention because it grants Franck–Condon access to local bending vibrational levels of the X̃ state with large-amplitude motion along the acetylene ⇌ vinylidene isomerization coordinate. For emission from the ground vibrational level of the à state, there is a simplifying set of Franck–Condon propensity rules that gives rise to only one zero-order bright state per conserved vibrational polyad of the X̃ state. Unfortunately, when the upper level involves excitation in the highly admixed ungerade bending modes, ν4′ and ν6′, the simplifying Franck–Condon propensity rule breaks down--as long as the usual polar basis (with v and l quantum numbers) is used to describe the degenerate bending vibrations of the X̃ state--and the intrapolyad intensities result from complicated interference patterns between many zero-order bright states. In this article, we show that, when the degenerate bending levels are instead treated in the Cartesian two-dimensional harmonic oscillator basis (with vx and vy quantum numbers), the propensity for only one zero-order bright state (in the Cartesian basis) is restored, and the intrapolyad intensities are simple to model, as long as corrections are made for anharmonic interactions. As a result of trans ⇌ cis isomerization in the à state, intrapolyad emission patterns from overtones of ν4′ and ν6′ evolve as quanta of trans bend (ν3′) are added, so the emission intensities are not only relevant to the ground-state acetylene ⇌ vinylidene isomerization, they are also a direct reporter of isomerization in the electronically excited state.

Full dimensional Franck-Condon factors for the acetylene à (1)A(u)-X̃ (1)Σ(g)(+) transition. I. Method for calculating polyatomic linear-bent vibrational intensity factors and evaluation of calculated intensities for the gerade vibrational modes in acetylene

Franck-Condon vibrational overlap integrals for the à Au1-X̃ 1Σg+ transition in acetylene have been calculated in full dimension in the harmonic normal mode basis. The calculation uses the method of generating functions first developed for polyatomic Franck-Condon factors by Sharp and Rosenstock [J. Chem. Phys. 41(11), 3453-3463 (1964)], and previously applied to acetylene by Watson [J. Mol. Spectrosc. 207(2), 276-284 (2001)] in a reduced-dimension calculation. Because the transition involves a large change in the equilibrium geometry of the electronic states, two different types of corrections to the coordinate transformation are considered to first order: corrections for axis-switching between the Cartesian molecular frames and corrections for the curvilinear nature of the normal modes at large amplitude. The angular factor in the wavefunction for the out-of-plane component of the trans bending mode, ν4(″), is treated as a rotation, which results in an Eckart constraint on the polar coordinates of the bending modes. To simplify the calculation, the other degenerate bending mode, ν5(″), is integrated in the Cartesian basis and later transformed to the constrained polar coordinate basis, restoring the conventional v and l quantum numbers. An updated Ã-state harmonic force field obtained recently in the R. W. Field research group is evaluated. The results for transitions involving the gerade vibrational modes are in qualitative agreement with experiment. Calculated results for transitions involving ungerade modes are presented in Paper II of this series [G. B. Park, J. H. Baraban, and R. W. Field, "Full dimensional Franck-Condon factors for the acetylene à Au1-X̃ 1Σg+ transition. II. Vibrational overlap factors for levels involving excitation in ungerade modes," J. Chem. Phys. 141, 134305 (2014)].

Reduced dimension rovibrational variational calculations of the S(1) state of C2H2. I. Methodology and implementation

The bending and torsional degrees of freedom in S1 acetylene, C2H2, are subject to strong vibrational resonances and rovibrational interactions, which create complex vibrational polyad structures even at low energy. As the internal energy approaches that of the barrier to cis-trans isomerization, these energy level patterns undergo further large-scale reorganization that cannot be satisfactorily treated by traditional models tied to local minima of the potential energy surface for nuclear motion. Experimental spectra in the region near the cis-trans transition state have revealed these complicated new patterns. In order to understand near-barrier spectroscopic observations and to predict the detailed effects of cis-trans isomerization on the rovibrational energy level structure, we have performed reduced dimension rovibrational variational calculations of the S1 state. In this paper, we present the methodological details, several of which require special care. Our calculation uses a high accuracy ab initio potential surface and a fully symmetrized extended complete nuclear permutation inversion group theoretical treatment of a multivalued internal coordinate system that is appropriate for large amplitude bending and torsional motions. We also discuss the details of the rovibrational basis functions and their symmetrization, as well as the use of a constrained reduced dimension rovibrational kinetic energy operator.

Rovibrational Energy Transfer in the 4νCH Manifold of Acetylene Viewed by IR−UV Double Resonance Spectroscopy. 2. Perturbed States with J = 17 and 18

Collision-induced state-to-state molecular energy transfer between rovibrational states in the 12,700 cm(-1) 4nu(CH) manifold of the electronic ground state X of acetylene (C(2)H(2)) is monitored by time-resolved infrared-ultraviolet double resonance (IR-UV DR) spectroscopy. Rotational J-states associated with the (nu(1) + 3nu(3)) or (1 0 3 0 0)(0) vibrational combination level, initially prepared by an IR pulse, are probed at approximately 299, approximately 296, or approximately 323 nm with UV laser-induced fluorescence via the Alpha electronic state. The rovibrational J-states of interest belong to a congested manifold that is affected by anharmonic, l-resonance, and Coriolis couplings, yielding complex intramolecular dynamics. Consequently, collision-induced rovibrational satellites observed by IR-UV DR comprise not only regular even-DeltaJ features but also supposedly forbidden odd-DeltaJ features. A preceding paper (J. Phys. Chem. A 2003, 107, 10759) focused on low-J-value rovibrational levels of the 4nu(CH) manifold (particularly those with J = 0 and J = 1) whereas this paper examines locally perturbed states at higher values of J (particularly J = 17 and 18, which display anomalous doublet structure in IR-absorption spectra). Three complementary forms of IR-UV DR experiments (IR-scanned, UV-scanned, and kinetic) are used to address the extent to which intramolecular perturbations influence the efficiency of J-resolved collision-induced energy transfer with both even and odd DeltaJ.