Acetylenic C–H and methyl C–D bond fission in photodissociation of vibrationally excited propyne-d[sub 3]

Photoinduced C–H bond fission in prototypical organic molecules and radicals

We survey and assess current knowledge regarding the primary photochemistry of hydrocarbon molecules and radicals.

High-Resolution Infrared Spectra of the ν1 Fundamental Bands of Mono-Substituted 13C Propyne Isotopologues

We present a combined experimental and ab initio study on the jet-cooled high-resolution infrared spectra of the ν₁ (acetylenic stretch) fundamental band for three isotopologues of propyne: ¹³CH₃¹²C≡¹²CH, ¹²CH₃¹³C≡¹²CH, and ¹²CH₃¹²C≡¹³CH. The experimental spectra are recorded in natural abundance using a continuous supersonic expansion of regular propyne diluted in argon and helium, in combination with continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (cw-CRDS). The fully rotationally resolved K' = 0 and 1 subbands of all three monosubstituted ¹³C isotopologues have been measured near 3330 cm^-1, and their spectroscopic analysis is presented here for the first time. The assignment of the bands and perturbation analysis are assisted by high level ab initio calculations at the CCSD(T) level of theory, from which vibrational frequencies, rotational constants, and Fermi resonances are predicted for each isotopologue.

Overtone spectroscopy of C-H ethyl stretches of 1-butyne

Room-temperature photoacoustic (PA) spectra and jet-cooled action spectra of the first to third overtone regions of the ethyl C-H stretches in vapor phase 1-butyne, CH3CH2C[Triple Bond]C-H, were measured. Both the PA and action spectra exhibit a complex multiple peak structure being better resolved and more pronounced in the latter, due to inhomogeneous structure reduction. The observed manifolds were analyzed in terms of a simplified joint local-/normal-mode (LM/NM) model accounting for two types of C-H stretches (methyl and methylene) and for Fermi resonances between stretches and deformations. The retrieved parameters, used for calculation of the eigenstates, come from the best-fit parameters based on the diagonalization of the vibrational Hamiltonian in the LM/NM basis. The parameters were obtained by comparing the eigenvalues and the sum of the squares of the expansion coefficients of the eigenvectors of the C-H stretches of methyl and methylene to the action spectra peak positions and intensities, respectively. This approximate model vibrational Hamiltonian is proposed to explain most observed spectral features, corresponding to C-H stretch bands and to combinations of C-H stretches and deformations, indicating the importance of the Fermi resonance. The model was also applied to calculate the dynamics of the C-H stretching modes resulting from coupling with the deformations, implying rapid initial state decay on subpicosecond time scale. Decays of several picoseconds were found for complete transfer of probability from the initially prepared state of methylene and methyl to the counterpart LM states.

Evidence for new bands in the 3nu1 and 4nu1 regions of propyne

Vibrationally mediated photodissociation and room-temperature photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy have been used for obtaining action (monitoring the yield of H photofragments) and absorption spectra of the second (3nu(1)) and third (4nu(1)) C-H acetylenic stretches overtone regions in propyne. The band contours appearing in these regions seem mostly regular even though they are perturbed, as expressed by the origin shifts in different K components, splitting of the K structure, and splitting due to resonances between neighboring states. Symmetric rotor simulations of the band contours of the PA and action spectra allowed extraction of the molecular parameters and rough estimates for the homogeneous broadening arising from energy flow to the bath vibrational states. We particularly benefited from the reduced congestion in the jet-cooled action spectra and their simulations, which enabled observation of yet unknown features in the vicinity of the 3nu(1) and 4nu(1) states. Particularly, the emergence of the new state in the 3nu(1) region was confirmed by the action spectra monitored at several differing jet temperatures, suggesting that it is a dark state in IR vibrational excitation that becomes brighter in UV excitation to the upper electronic state. The monitored and Gaussian-fitted Doppler profiles point to the release of H photofragments with low average translational energies, attributed to an indirect dissociation process occurring after internal conversion to the ground electronic state and isomerization to allene.

Determining the vibrational pattern via overtone cold spectra: C-H methyl stretches of propyne

Vibrationally mediated photodissociation and photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy were employed for studying the intramolecular dynamics of propyne initially excited to the first through fourth overtone of methyl C-H stretching modes. Room-temperature PA and jet-cooled action spectra, monitoring the absorption of the parent and the yield of the ensuing H photofragments, respectively, were obtained. The PA spectra exhibit mainly broad features, while the action spectra, due to inhomogeneous structure reduction, expose multiple peaks of recognizable shapes in the differing overtone manifolds. Symmetric rotor simulations of the band contours of the action spectra allowed retrieving of band origins and linewidths. The linewidths of the bands in each manifold enabled estimates for energy redistribution times out of the corresponding states to the bath states, the times ranging from 18+/-6 ps for two quanta of C-H excitation to subpicosecond for five quanta. The data were also analyzed in terms of a normal-mode model and a joint local-/normal-mode model. These models enabled determination of harmonic frequencies, anharmonicities, and interaction parameters reproducing the observed data in all monitored regions and provided spectral assignments. The measured Doppler profiles were well fitted by Gaussians with widths suggesting low average translational energies for the released H photofragments. These low energies and their similarities to those for dissociation of propyne isotopomers preexcited to acetylenic C-H stretches were ascribed to an indirect dissociation process occurring after internal conversion to the ground electronic state and isomerization to allene.

H and D release in ∼243.1 nm photolysis of vibrationally excited 3ν1, 4ν1, and 4νCD overtones of propyne-d3

The photofragmentation of propyne-d(3), D(3)C-C[Triple Bond]C-H, following approximately 243.1 nm photodissociation of rovibrationally excited molecules promoted to the second (3nu(1)) and third (4nu(1)) acetylenic C-H overtone and to the third (4nu(CD)) methyl overtone has been investigated. The resulting H and D photoproducts were detected via (2+1) resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization. The measured room-temperature photoacoustic and jet-cooled action spectra allowed derivation of the molecular parameters of the C-H overtones and the Doppler profiles revealed the translational energies associated with the H(D) photofragments and the H to D branching ratios. Propensities toward the latter were encountered, while the translational energy disposal in both photofragments was essentially identical for a given preexcitation. This behavior agrees with that found for the almost isoenergetic 193.3 nm photolysis of propyne [Qadiri et al., J. Chem. Phys. 119, 12842 (2003)], but contradicts previous findings. The bond fission of C-H and C-D is preceded by internal conversion to, and isomerization on, the ground-state potential energy surface (PES), followed by extensive intramolecular vibrational redistribution. For molecules preexcited to 3nu(1) and 4nu(1) an additional minor channel opens, where elimination of H occurs directly on the accessed excited PES, while that of D on the ground state.

Bond-selective photodissociation of partially deuterated ammonia molecules: Photodissociations of vibrationally excited NHD2 in the 5νNH state and NH2D in the 5νND state

Ultraviolet photodissociation of NHD(2) excited to the fourth overtone state of the NH stretching mode (5nu(NH)) and NH(2)D excited to that of the ND stretching mode (5nu(ND)) has been investigated by using a crossed laser and molecular beams method. Branching ratio between the NH and ND bond dissociations has been determined by utilizing a (2+1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization scheme of H and D atoms. For the photolysis of NHD(2) in the 5nu(NH) state, the NH dissociation cross section is 5.1+/-1.4 times as large as the ND dissociation cross section per bond. On the other hand, for the photolysis of NH(2)D in the 5nu(ND) state, the ratio of the NH dissociation cross section per bond to the ND dissociation cross section decreases to 0.68+/-0.16. In comparison with the branching ratios for the photolysis of vibrationally unexcited NH(2)D and NHD(2), the present results indicate that the excitation of the NH stretching mode enhances the NH dissociation with ca. two times larger NH/ND branching ratio, whereas the excitation of the ND stretching mode results in the preferential ND dissociation with ca. 3-4 times larger ND/NH branching ratio than that for the vibrational ground states. The mechanism of the bond-selective enhancement has been discussed in terms of the energetics and dynamics of wave packet.