Dynamics of theEstate of HBr and DBr: Evidence for the role of tunneling

Ion-Pair Formation in n-Butyl Bromide through 5p Ryberg State Predissociation

The ultrafast photodynamics of n-butyl bromide are explored with femtosecond time-resolved mass spectrometry. Absorption of two UV (400 nm) pump photons induces the direct dissociation of the C-Br bond from the A state within 160 fs. Absorption of three UV pump photons excites the molecule into the 5p Rydberg state which undergoes several relaxation pathways including to the ion-pair state. Relaxation to the ion-pair state is tracked through the transient of the C₄H₉⁺ fragment and suggests an E state lifetime of 10.8 ± 0.5 ps, in close agreement with the tunneling time of smaller molecules. Predissociation from the 5p Rydberg states leads to the β-elimination of H-Br and formation of C₄H₈⁺ within 3.0 ± 0.25 ps. A portion of the excited parent molecule avoids the ion-pair formation and instead relaxes through the Rydberg excited state manifold into the D state within 30.2 ± 0.21 ps.

Photofragmentations, state interactions, and energetics of Rydberg and ion-pair states: two-dimensional resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization of HBr via singlet-, triplet-, Ω = 0 and 2 states

Mass spectra were recorded for one-colour resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) of H(i)Br (i = 79, 81) for the two-photon resonance excitation region 79,040-80,300 cm(-1) to obtain two-dimensional REMPI data. The data were analysed in terms of rotational line positions, intensities, and line-widths. Quantitative analysis of the data relevant to near-resonance interactions between the F(1)Δ(2)(v' = 1) and V(1)Σ(+)(v' = m + 7) states gives interaction strengths, fractional state mixing, and parameters relevant to dissociation of the F state. Qualitative analysis further reveals the nature of state interactions between ion-pair states and the E(1)Σ(+) (v' = 1) and H(1)Σ(+)(v' = 0) Rydberg states in terms of relative strengths and J' dependences. Large variety in line-widths, depending on electronic states and J' quantum numbers, is indicative of number of different predissociation channels. The relationship between line-widths, line-shifts, and signal intensities reveals dissociation mechanisms involving ion-pair to Rydberg state interactions prior to direct or indirect predissociations of Rydberg states. Quantum interference effects are found to be important. Moreover, observed bromine atom (2 + 1) REMPI signals support the importance of Rydberg state predissociation channels. A band system, not previously observed in REMPI, was observed and assigned to the k(3)Π(0)(v' = 0) ←← X transition with band origin 80,038 cm(-1) and rotational parameter B(v('))=7.238 cm(-1).

Ab initio study of valence and Rydberg states of CH3Br

We performed configuration interaction ab initio calculations on the valence and 5s, 5p(a(1)), and 5p(e) Rydberg bands of the CH(3)Br molecule as a function of the methyl-bromide distance for frozen C(3v) geometries. The valence state potential energy curves are repulsive, the Rydberg state ones are similar to the one of the CH(3)Br(+) ion with a minimum at short distance. One state emerging from the 5p(e) band has valence and ion-pair characters as distance increases and the corresponding potential curve has a second minimum at large distance. This state has a very strong parallel electric dipole transition moment with the ground state and plays a central role in UV photon absorption spectra. It is also responsible for the parallel character of the anisotropy parameters measured in ion-pair production experiments. In each band, there is a single state, which has a non-negligible transition moment with the ground state, corresponding to a transition perpendicular to the molecular axis of symmetry, except for the 5p(e) band where it is parallel. The perpendicular transition moments between ground and valence states increase sharply as methyl-bromide distance decreases due to a mixing between valence and 5s Rydberg band at short distance. In each band, spin orbit interaction produces a pair of states, which have significant transition moments with the ground one. In the valence band, the mixing between singlet and triplet states is weak and the perpendicular transition to the (1)Q(1) state is dominant. In each Rydberg band, however, spin-orbit interaction is larger than the exchange interaction and the two significant transition moments with the ground state have comparable strengths. The valence band has an additional state ((1)Q(0)) with significant parallel transition moment induced by spin-orbit interaction with the ground state at large distance.

Photoelectron imaging following 2 + 1 multiphoton excitation of HBr

The photodissociation and photoionization dynamics of HBr via low-n Rydberg and ion-pair states was studied by using 2 + 1 REMPI spectroscopy and velocity map imaging of photoelectrons. Two-photon excitation at about 9.4-10 eV was used to prepare rotationally selected excited states. Following absorption of the third photon the unperturbed F (1)Delta(2) and i (3)Delta(2) states ionize directly into the ground vibrational state of the molecular ion according to the Franck-Condon principle and upon preservation of the ion core. In case of the V (1)Sigma(+)(0(+)) ion-pair state and the perturbed E (1)Sigma(+)(0(+)), g (3)Sigma(-)(0(+)), and H (1)Sigma(+)(0(+)) Rydberg states the absorption of the third photon additionally results in a long vibrational progression of HBr(+) in the X (2)Pi state as well as formation of electronically excited atomic photofragments. The vibrational excitation of the molecular ion is explained by autoionization of repulsive superexcited states into the ground state of the molecular ion. In contrast to HCl, the perturbed Rydberg states of HBr show strong participation of the direct ionization process, with ionic core preservation.

Dynamics of hydrogen bromide dissolution in the ground and excited states

The dissolution of acids is one of the most fundamental solvation processes, and an important issue is the nature of the hydration complex resulting in ion pair formation. We used femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy to show that five water molecules are necessary for complete dissolution of a hydrogen bromide molecule to form the contact ion pair H+.Br-(H2O)n in the electronic ground state. In smaller mixed clusters (n < 5), the ion pair formation can be photoinduced by electronic excitation.