Pure rotational spectra, structures, and hyperfine constants of OC-AuX (X = F, Cl, Br)

Rotational spectra of OC-AuX (X = F, Cl, Br) have been measured in the frequency range 5-21 GHz, using a pulsed jet cavity Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. The molecules were prepared by ablating Au metal with a Nd:YAG laser and allowing the vapor to react with CO plus a halide precursor contained in the Ar backing gas of the jets. For OC-AuCl and OC-AuBr these are the first high-resolution spectroscopic measurements; for OC-AuF these are the first observations of any kind. All three molecules are linear. Rotational constants, centrifugal distortion constants, and nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have been precisely evaluated. The geometries determined for all three molecules show CO bond lengths close to that of free CO, plus relatively long Au-C bonds. These results are corroborated by ab initio calculations, which have also produced Mulliken populations showing significant sigma-donation from CO to Au, plus some pi-back-donation from Au to CO. There are major changes in the Au, Cl, and Br nuclear quadrupole coupling constants when CO bonds to AuX, consistent with the formation of strong Au-C bonds. The structural properties of OC-AuF are somewhat different from those of OC-AuCl and OC-AuBr.

Microwave spectra, geometries, and hyperfine constants of OCCuX (X = F, Cl, Br)

A pulsed jet cavity Fourier transform microwave spectrometer has been used to measure the rotational spectra of OCCuX (X = F, Cl, Br) in the frequency range 5-21 GHz. Metal atoms were generated via laser ablation and were allowed to react with CO and a halide precursor, prior to stabilization of the products within a supersonic jet. These are the first experimental observations of OCCuF and OCCuBr and the first high-resolution spectroscopic study of gas-phase OCCuCl. All three molecules were found to be linear. Rotational constants, centrifugal distortion constants, nuclear quadrupole coupling constants, and nuclear spin-rotation coupling constants have been precisely determined. The rotational constants have been used to evaluate the various bond lengths, and the results are in good agreement with the trend established for OCAuX species. The C-O distance is found to be comparatively short and close to that of free CO. The M-C distance is longer than that predicted by ab initio calculations, and the Cu-X distances are very similar to those observed in the corresponding metal halides. Vibrational wavenumbers have been estimated from the distortion constants and are compared with the results of various ab initio studies. Changes in the Cu, Cl, and Br nuclear quadrupole coupling constants indicate that substantial charge rearrangement takes place on coordination with CO, consistent with the formation of strong Cu-C bonds. Mulliken orbital population analyses have been performed and provide evidence of pi-back-donation from Cu in all of the species studied. The evaluated nuclear spin-rotation coupling constants have been used to estimate the (63)Cu nuclear shielding constants, sigma, and their spans (Omega) in OC(63)CuF, OC(63)Cu(35)Cl, and OC(63)Cu(79)Br.

Hyperfine Structure in the Rotational Spectrum of GaF: A Comparison of Experimental and Calculated Spin-Rotation and Electric Field Gradient Tensors

The high-resolution pure rotational spectrum of GaF has been measured using a Balle-Flygare-type Fourier transform spectrometer. Improved nuclear quadrupolar coupling constants and rotational constants have been obtained along with the first reported fluorine spin-rotation constant for gallium fluoride, C(I) ((69)Ga(19)F, v = 0) = +32.0(21) kHz. Accurate spin-rotation tensors from microwave or molecular beam spectroscopy are particularly important to NMR spectroscopists and theoreticians because these data provide information about anisotropic nuclear magnetic shielding in the absence of intermolecular effects. For quadrupolar nuclei such as gallium, the quadrupolar interaction is sufficiently large that it is very difficult to characterize shielding tensors directly via NMR spectroscopy. The experimentally determined nuclear quadrupolar coupling constants and spin-rotation constants for GaF are compared with the results of a series of high-level ab initio calculations carried out at various levels of theory with a range of basis sets. Further calculations on BF and AlF, supplemented with available experimental data for InF and TlF, allow for the investigation of trends in nuclear magnetic shielding, spin-rotation, and electric field gradient tensors in the group-13 fluorides. Calculations at the MP2/6-311++G** and MP2/6-311G(2df, 2pd) levels provide the most consistently satisfactory results in comparison with the experimental data. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

The Pure Rotational Spectra of AuCl and AuBr

The pure rotational spectra of AuCl and AuBr have been measured in the v = 0 and 1 (also for v = 2 for Au(35)Cl) vibrational states in the 5-22 GHz spectral region using a cavity pulsed-jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. The molecules were prepared by ablating Au metal in the presence of Cl(2) or Br(2) entrained in the Ar or Ne backing gas of the jet. The equilibrium internuclear distances r(e) have been determined along with estimates of the harmonic vibration frequencies and the dissociation energies. The ionic characters of the AuCl and AuBr bonds have been estimated from the halogen nuclear quadrupole-coupling constants to be i(c) approximately 38%. The gold nuclear quadrupole coupling constants change appreciably from AuF to AuCl to AuBr (including a sign change), indicating substantial differences in their electronic structures at Au; these variations could not be accounted for with a simple Townes-Dailey calculation. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

The Hyperfine Structures of ScCl and ScF

The Fourier transform microwave spectra of gaseous ScF and ScCl have been measured in their (1)Sigma(+) ground electronic states. Transitions have been observed for ScF (J = 1-0) and for both Sc(35)Cl and Sc(37)Cl (J = 1-0 and J = 2-1) in the ground vibrational state, and for Sc(35)Cl (J = 1-0 and J = 2-1) in the first excited vibrational state. The nuclear quadrupole coupling constants of Sc and of both isotopes of Cl, the spin-rotation constants for all the nuclei and the nuclear spin-nuclear spin constants for both molecules, have been determined. From these hyperfine constants, the electronic structures of ScF and ScCl have been investigated and comparisons have been made to similar molecules. ScCl has been found to be highly ionic. For Sc(35)Cl, the equilibrium bond length has been reevaluated and the vibration frequency and dissociation energy have been estimated. A simple approach to account for the Sc quadrupole coupling constants has been shown to be flawed. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.