C4Cl: Bent or linear?

A THEORETICAL STUDY OF CARBON CHAINS OF TYPE CNF(N = 1–7) IN NEUTRAL AND IONIC FORMS

The structures, binding energies, and molecular parameters of C n F clusters (n = 1–7) have been investigated theoretically on neutral and ionic forms with the RCCSD(T)//B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory. It can be concluded that for the ground states the linear structures are stable only for CF , C 6 F , and C 7 F . Other neutral species of C n F (n = 2–5) are slightly bent. The variation in stability with growth of the carbon chain is flat but the ionization potential and electron affinity exhibit clear variations with the size of the clusters. Cation clusters with an even n value have triplet ground states whereas singlet ground states exist when n is odd. All anions except CF -, have singlet ground states. The alternation in stability is found in both cationic and anionic forms, but the trends are reversed. Predictions of several molecular properties may be useful in the identification of these species in the laboratory and in space.

Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy of the CCCCl radical

Pure rotational spectra of the CCCCl radical in a supersonic jet have been observed for the first time by Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy. The radical was produced by a pulsed electric discharge in a C(2)H(2) and CCl(4) mixture diluted to 0.3% and 0.2% with Ne, respectively. Transitions with spin and hyperfine splittings were observed for two isotopologs, CCC(35)Cl and CCC(37)Cl, in the region from 11.4 GHz for N=2-1 to 34.2 GHz for N=6-5. The molecular constants including the hyperfine coupling constants due to the Cl nucleus have been determined precisely. From the rotational analyses and high-level ab initio calculations, the molecular structure of the CCCCl radical is concluded to be bent in the ground electronic state.