Imaging the State-Specific Vibrational Predissociation of the C2H2−NH3Hydrogen-Bonded Dimer

Vibrational predissociation of the phenol-water dimer: a view from the water

The vibrational predissociation (VP) dynamics of the phenol-water (PhOH-H₂O) dimer were studied by detecting H₂O fragments and using velocity map imaging (VMI) to infer the internal energy distributions of PhOH cofragments, pair-correlated with selected rotational levels of the H₂O fragments. Following infrared (IR) laser excitation of the hydrogen-bonded OH stretch fundamental of PhOH (Pathway 1) or the asymmetric OH stretch localized on H₂O (Pathway 2), dissociation to H₂O + PhOH was observed. H₂O fragments were monitored state-selectively by using 2+1 Resonance-Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization (REMPI) combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS). VMI of H₂O in selected rotational levels was used to derive center-of-mass (c.m.) translational energy (E_T) distributions. The pair-correlated internal energy distributions of the PhOH cofragments derived via Pathway 1 were well described by a statistical prior distribution. On the other hand, the corresponding distributions obtained via Pathway 2 show a propensity to populate higher-energy rovibrational levels of PhOH than expected from a statistical distribution and agree better with an energy-gap model. The REMPI spectra of the H₂O fragments from both pathways could be fit by Boltzmann plots truncated at the maximum allowed energy, with a higher temperature for Pathway 2 than that for Pathway 1. We conclude that the VP dynamics depends on the OH stretch level initially excited.

C-H/π and C-H-O Interactions in Concert: A Study of the Anisole-Methane Complex using Resonant Ionization and Velocity Mapped Ion Imaging

Noncovalent forces such as hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, π-π stacking, and C-H/π and C-H/O interactions hold the key to such chemical processes as protein folding, molecular self-assembly, and drug-substrate interactions. Invaluable insight into the nature and strength of these forces continues to come from the study of isolated molecular clusters. In this work, we report on a study of the isolated anisole-methane complex, where both C-H/π and C-H/O interactions are possible, using a combination of theory and experiments that include mass-selected two-color resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy, two-color appearance potential (2CAP) measurements, and velocity mapped ion imaging (VMI). Using 2CAP and VMI, we derive the binding energies of the complex in ground, excited, and cation radical states. The experimental values from the two methods are in excellent agreement, and they are compared with selected theoretical values calculated using density functional theory and ab initio methods. The optimized ground-state cluster geometry, which is consistent with the experimental observations, shows methane sitting above the ring, interacting with anisole via both C-H/π and C-H/O interactions, and this dual mode of interaction is reflected in a larger ground-state binding energy as compared with the prototypical benzene-methane system.

Vibrational predissociation and vibrationally induced isomerization of 3-aminophenol-ammonia

We investigate the vibrational predissociation dynamics of the hydrogen-bonded 3-aminophenol-ammonia cluster (3-AP-NH3) in the OH and NH stretching regions. Vibrational excitation provides enough energy to dissociate the cluster into its constituent 3-AP and NH3 monomers, and we detect the 3-AP fragments via (1 + 1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). The distribution of vibrational states of the 3-AP fragment suggests the presence of two distinct dissociation pathways. The first dissociation channel produces a broad, unstructured feature in the REMPI-action spectrum after excitation of any of the OH or NH stretching vibrations, pointing to a nearly statistical dissociation pathway with extensive coupling among the vibrations in the cluster during the vibrational predissociation. The second dissociation channel produces distinct, resolved features on top of the broad feature but only following excitation of the OH or symmetric NH3 stretch in the cluster. This striking mode-specificity is consistent with strong coupling of these two modes to the dissociation coordinate (the O-H⋯N bond). The presence of clearly resolved transitions to the electronic origin and to the 10a(2) + 10b(2) state of the cis-3-AP isomer shows that vibrational excitation is driving the isomerization of the trans-3-AP-NH3 isomer to the cis-3-AP-NH3 isomer in the course of the dissociation.

Communication: determination of the bond dissociation energy (D0) of the water dimer, (H2O)2, by velocity map imaging

The bond dissociation energy (D(0)) of the water dimer is determined by using state-to-state vibrational predissociation measurements following excitation of the bound OH stretch fundamental of the donor unit of the dimer. Velocity map imaging and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) are used to determine pair-correlated product velocity and translational energy distributions. H(2)O fragments are detected in the ground vibrational (000) and the first excited bending (010) states by 2 + 1 REMPI via the C̃ (1)B(1) (000) ← X̃ (1)A(1) (000 and 010) transitions. The fragments' velocity and center-of-mass translational energy distributions are determined from images of selected rovibrational levels of H(2)O. An accurate value for D(0) is obtained by fitting both the structure in the images and the maximum velocity of the fragments. This value, D(0) = 1105 ± 10 cm(-1) (13.2 ± 0.12 kJ/mol), is in excellent agreement with the recent theoretical value of D(0) = 1103 ± 4 cm(-1) (13.2 ± 0.05 kJ∕mol) suggested as a benchmark by Shank et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 130, 144314 (2009)].

Photofragment Spectroscopy and Predissociation Dynamics of Weakly Bound Molecules

Photofragment spectroscopy is combined with imaging techniques and time-resolved measurements of photoions and photoelectrons to explore the predissociation dynamics of weakly bound molecules. Recent experimental advances include measurements of pair-correlated distributions, in which energy disposal in one cofragment is correlated with a state-selected level of the other fragment, and femtosecond pump-probe experiments, in some cases with coincidence detection. An application in which coincident measurements are carried out in the molecular frame is also described. To illustrate these state-selective and time-resolved techniques, we review two recent applications: (a) the photoinitiated dissociation of the covalently bound NO dimer on the ground and excited electronic states and the role of state couplings and (b) the state-selected vibrational predissociation of hydrogen-bonded acetylene dimers with HCl (acid) and ammonia (base) and the importance of angular momentum constraints. We highlight the crucial role of theoretical models in interpreting results.