Structure and Electronic Transitions of C7H4O2+ and C7H5O2+ Ions: Neon Matrix and Theoretical Studies.

C7H4O2+ and C7H5O2+ ions and the respective neutrals have been investigated by absorption spectroscopy in neon matrixes following mass selection of ions produced from salicylic acid. Three electronic transitions starting at 649.6, 431.0, and 372.0 nm are detected for C7H4O2+ and assigned on the basis of CASPT2 energies and Franck-Condon simulations as the excitations from the X 2A″ to the 1 2A″, 2 2A″, and 3 2A″ electronic states of 6-(oxomethylene)-2,4-cyclohexadien-1-one ion (A+). Absorptions commencing at 366.4 nm are observed for C7H5O2+ and assigned to the 1 2A' ← X 2A' electronic transition of (2-hydroxyphenyl)methanone ion (J+). Neutralization of J+ leads to the appearance of four absorption systems attributed to the 4 2A″, 3 2A″, 2 2A″, and 1 2A″ ← X 2A″ transitions of J with origin bands 291.3, 361.2, 393.8, and 461.2 nm.

Electronic spectroscopy of transient species in solid neon: the indene-motif polycyclic hydrocarbon cation family C9Hy(+) (y = 7-9) and their neutrals.

In this Perspective the development and application of a mass-selective matrix isolation approach, employed with success over the last two decades in the spectroscopic characterization of numerous ions and neutral reactive species, is illustrated with original data for hydrocarbon cations and neutrals with a six- and a five-membered carbon ring fused. The setup allows for the electronic and vibrational assessment of these isolated molecules and ions in the inert neon environment. The transient species of interest are chosen due to their astrophysical relevance, and the role they play in flames, plasmas, combustion, organic reactions and atmospheric chemistry. Electronic absorption and fluorescence spectra of indene-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon derivatives, C9Hy(+) (y = 7-9) cations, are presented. The ions were produced in a discharge source and investigated by means of absorption and emission spectroscopies after selectively trapping them in 6 K neon matrices. Photoconversion between the two C9H8(+) indenylium isomers and, upon irradiation, H2 loss from C9H9(+) were observed. Corresponding neutral species C9Hy are identified by photobleaching the matrices containing the cations.

Electronic spectra and reversible photoisomerization of protonated naphthalenes in solid neon.

Alpha- and beta-protonated naphthalenes (α- and ß-HN(+)) were investigated by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies in 6 K neon matrixes using a mass-selected C(10)H(9)(+) ion beam. The absorption spectra reveal S(1)/S(2) ← S(0) transitions with onsets at 502.1 and 396.1 nm for α-HN(+), and 534.5 and 322.3 nm in the case of ß-HN(+). Wavelength-dispersed fluorescence was detected for α-HN(+), starting at 504.4 nm. Light-induced α-HN(+) → ß-HN(+) isomerization was observed upon S(2) ← S(0) excitation of α-HN(+), whereas ß-HN(+) relaxed back into the more stable alpha form either upon excitation to S(1) or via thermal population of the ground state vibrational levels near the top of the energy barrier between the two isomers. The intramolecular proton transfer leading to the α-HN(+) ↔ ß-HN(+) photoisomerization is fully reversible. The observations are explained with the support of theoretical calculations on the ground- and excited states of the isomers, vertical excitation and adiabatic energies, minimum-energy pathways along the relevant reaction coordinates, and conical intersections between the electronic states.

Electronic absorption spectra of protonated pyrene and coronene in neon matrixes.

Protonated pyrene and coronene have been isolated in 6 K neon matrixes. The cations were produced in the reaction of the parent aromatics with protonated ethanol in a hot-cathode discharge source, mass selected, and co-deposited with neon. Three electronic transitions of the most stable isomer of protonated pyrene and four of protonated coronene were recorded. The strongest, S(1) ← S(0) transitions, are in the visible region, with onset at 487.5 nm for protonated pyrene and 695.6 nm for protonated coronene. The corresponding neutrals were also observed. The absorptions were assigned on the basis of ab initio coupled-cluster and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. The astrophysical relevance of protonated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is discussed.

Electronic transitions of protonated benzene and fulvene, and of C6H7 isomers in neon matrices.

Electronic transitions of protonated benzene (à (1)B(2)←X̃ (1)A(1), origin at 325 nm) and α-protonated fulvene (à (1)A'←X̃ (1)A', at 335 nm) trapped in 6 K neon matrices have been detected. The cations were produced from several different precursors, mass-selected, and co-deposited with neon. After neutralization of the cations, the electronic transitions of cyclohexadienyl (onsets at 549 and 310 nm) and α-hydrogenated fulvene (532 and 326 nm) radicals were identified. Upon excitation of cyclohexadienyl to the B̃ (2)B(1) state, photoisomerization to an open-chain structure and α-hydrogenated fulvene was observed.

Higher energy electronic transitions of HC(2n+1)H+ (n=2-7) and HC(2n+1)H (n=4-7) in neon matrices.

Electronic absorption spectra of linear HC(2n+1)H(+) (n=2-7) were recorded in 6 K neon matrices following their mass-selective deposition. Four new electronic band systems are identified; the strongest E (2)Pi(g/u)<--X (2)Pi(u/g) lies in the UV and the second most intense C (2)Pi(g/u)<--X (2)Pi(u/g) is located in the visible range. The known A (2)Pi(g/u)<--X (2)Pi(u/g) absorption is an order of magnitude weaker than C (2)Pi(g/u)<--X (2)Pi(u/g). Transitions to the B and D states are also discussed. The wavelengths of the HC(2n+1)H(+) (n=2-7) electronic systems obey a linear relation as a function of the size of the cations, similar to other carbon chains. The B (3)Sigma(u)(-)<--X (3)Sigma(g)(-) transition in the UV of neutral HC(2n+1)H (n=4-7) has also been identified upon photobleaching of the cations trapped in the matrices.