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Context. The absorption bands of the interstellar medium (ISM) in the optical and near-infrared regions called the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) have been known for almost a century, yet their origins remain largely unknown. Knowledge of molecular carriers of DIBs would allow for a much better understanding of the chemistry and physics of the ISM. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and, among them, polyacenes have been suggested as promising candidates for carriers of DIBs. Aims. In this paper, we report on the spectroscopy of heptacene (Hep), the polyacene molecule consisting of seven aromatic rings in a linear arrangement, in its cationic and anionic forms (Hep+/-). The performed spectroscopic studies made it possible to accurately determine the Hep+/- absorption band positions and to conduct a direct comparison of laboratory and observational spectra. Methods. We utilized helium-tagging action spectroscopy to measure the spectra of Hep+/- in a wide spectral range of 3000-13 000 Å. In most cases, the spectra obtained by this method can be directly compared with the observational spectra. By analyzing the spectral shift as a function of the number of attached helium atoms, we obtained precise estimates of the gas-phase band positions. Quantumchemical computations were used to support and interpret the findings. Matrix isolation spectroscopy provided information on the spectral properties of neutral Hep and extended the spectral range for Hep+. Results. We found several absorption bands characterized by a rather large full width at half maximum in the spectra of Hep+/-. The two most intense bands were found at 4714 ± 5Å and 12 250 ± 12Å for Hep+ and at 4673 ± 14Å and 11326 ± 4Å for Hep-. We did not find any good match between laboratory and observational spectra. In particular, the intrinsic width of the absorption bands of Hep+/- is much higher than that of most observed DIBs. Conclusions. The non-detection of Hep+/- in the observational spectra excludes the bottom-up formation route for polyacenes in the ISM. Larger polyacene molecules could still be considered as potential carriers of DIBs in the case of an efficient top-down formation route. All currently measured polyacene ions exhibit relatively broad absorption bands. Therefore, additional spectroscopy studies of neutral polyacenes and larger polyacene ions as well as the study of possible top-down formation routes are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helium droplets represent a cold inert matrix, free of walls with outstanding properties to grow complexes and clusters at conditions that are perfect to simulate cold and dense regions of the interstellar medium. At sub‐Kelvin temperatures, barrierless reactions triggered by radicals or ions have been observed and studied by optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The present review summarizes developments of experimental techniques and methods and recent results they enabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) spectroscopy has been applied to investigate the solvation of Al atoms in helium droplets. The R2PI spectra reveal vibrational progressions that can be attributed to Al-Hen vibrations. It is found that small helium droplets have very little chance to pick up an aluminum atom after collision. However, the pick-up probability increases with the size of the helium droplets. The absorption band that is measured by monitoring the ions on the mass of the Al dimer is found to be very little shifted with respect to the Al monomer band (~400 cm-1). However, using the same laser wavelength, we were unable to detect any Aln photoion with n larger than two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of carbon atoms with benzene has been investigated in liquid helium droplets at T = 0.37 K. We found an addition of the carbon atom to form an initial intermediate complex followed by a ring opening and the formation of a seven-membered ring. In contrast to a previous gas phase study, the reaction is frozen after these steps and the loss of hydrogen does not occur. A calorimetric technique was applied to monitor the energy balance of the reaction. It was found that more than 267 kJ mol-1 were released in this reaction. This estimation is in line with quantum chemical calculations of the formation energy of a seven-membered carbon ring. It is suggested that reactions of this kind could be responsible for the low abundance of small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules in the interstellar medium. We also found the formation of weakly bonded water-carbon adducts, in which the carbon atom is linked to the oxygen atom of the water molecule with a binding energy of about 33.4 kJ mol-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M2O2 (M = Sc, Y, and La) were synthesized in a pulsed laser-vaporization molecular beam source and studied by mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Adiabatic ionization energies (AIEs) and several vibrational frequencies were measured accurately for the first time from the MATI spectra. Six possible structural isomers of M2O2 were considered in the calculations and the three converged structures were used in the spectral analysis. A planar cyclic structure in D2h point group was predicted to be the most stable one by the theory and observed by the experiment. The cyclic structure is formed by joining two MO2 fragments together through two shared oxygen atoms. In forming the ground state clusters, each metal atom loses two (n - 1)d electrons and as a result, has only one ns electron in the metal-based valence orbital. The ground electronic state of Sc2O2 is ¹Ag, and those of Y2O2 and La2O2 are ³B1u. Ionization of both ¹Ag and ³B1u neutral states yields the ²Ag ion state by removing one of the two ns electrons, and the resultant ion has a similar geometry to the neutral cluster. The AIEs of the clusters are 5.5752 (6), 5.2639 (6), 4.5795 (6) eV for M = Sc, Y, and La, respectively. The vibrational frequencies of the observed modes, including O-M and M-M stretches, are in the range of 200-800 cm-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M3O4 (M = Sc, Y, and La) were produced in a pulsed laser-vaporization molecular beam source and studied by mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations. Adiabatic ionization energies (AIEs) of the neutral clusters and vibrational frequencies of the cations were measured accurately for the first time from the MATI spectra. Five possible structural isomers of M3O4 were considered in the calculations and spectral analysis. A cage-like structure in C3v point group was identified as the most stable one. The structure is formed by fusing three M2O2 fragments together, each sharing two O-M bonds with others. The ground electronic state of the neutral clusters is 2A1 with the unpaired electron being largely a metal-based s character. Ionization of the 2A1 state yields a 1A1 ion state in a similar geometry to the neutral cluster. The AIEs of the clusters are 4.4556 (6), 4.0586(6), and 3.4750(6) eV for M = Sc, Y, and La, respectively. The observed vibrational modes of the cations include metal-oxygen stretching, metal triangle breathing, and oxygen-metal-oxygen rocking in the frequency range of 200-800 cm-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanum dimer (La2) was studied by mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and a series of multi-configuration ab initio calculations. The MATI spectrum exhibits three band systems originating from ionization of the neutral ground electronic state, and each system shows vibrational frequencies of the neutral molecule and singly charged cation. The three ionization processes are La2+ (a2∑g+) ← La2 (X1∑g+), La2+ (b2Π3/2, u) ← La2 (X1∑g+), and La2+ (b2Π1/2, u) ← La2 (X1∑g+), with the ionization energies of 39 046, 40 314, and 40 864 cm-1, respectively. The vibrational frequency of the X1Σg+ state is 207 cm-1, and those of the a2Σg+, b2Π3/2, u and b2Π1/2, u are 235.7, 242.2, and 240 cm-1. While X1Σg+ is the ground state of the neutral molecule, a2Σg+ and b2Πu are calculated to be the excited states of the cation. The spin-orbit splitting in the b2Πu ion is 550 cm-1. An X4Σg- state of La2+ was predicted by theory, but not observed by the experiment. The determination of a singlet ground state of La2 shows that lanthanum behaves differently from scandium and yttrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are model systems for studying the mechanisms of lithium storage in carbonaceous materials. In this work, Li complexes of naphthalene, pyrene, perylene, and coronene were synthesized in a supersonic metal-cluster beam source and studied by zero-electron-kinetic-energy (ZEKE) electron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The adiabatic ionization energies of the neutral complexes and frequencies of up to nine vibrational modes in the singly charged cations were determined from the ZEKE spectra. The metal-ligand bond energies of the neutral complexes were obtained from a thermodynamic cycle. Preferred Li/Li+ binding sites with the aromatic molecules were determined by comparing the measured spectra with theoretical calculations. Li and Li+ prefer the ring-over binding to the benzene ring with a higher π-electron content and aromaticity. Although the ionization energies of the Li complexes show no clear correlation with the size of the aromatic molecules, the metal-ligand bond energies increase with the extension of the π-electron network up to perylene, then decrease from perylene to coronene. The trends in the ionization and metal-ligand bond dissociation energies of the complexes are discussed in terms of the orbital energies, local quadrupole moments, and polarizabilities of the free ligands and the charge transfer between the metal atom and aromatic molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li complexes of adenine, uracil, and thymine were produced by laser vaporization of rods made of Li and nucleobase powders in a metal-cluster beam source and studied by pulsed-field-ionization zero-electron-kinetic-energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The ZEKE measurements determined the adiabatic ionization energies of the three neutral complexes and frequencies of several vibrational modes for the metal-adenine and -uracil ions. The measured spectra were compared with spectral simulations to determine the preferred metal binding sites. For adenine, the most stable structure is formed by Li/Li+ bidentately binding to both the N7 atom of the imidazole ring and the NH2 group of the pyrimidine ring. For uracil and thymine, the ideal site for Li/Li+ coordination is the O4 atom. Although it has only a small effect on the geometries of uracil and thymine, lithium coordination forces the rotation of the NH2 group out of the adenine plane. The adiabatic ionization energies of the three complexes follow the trend of uracil (33910±5 cm-1)>thymine (33386±5 cm-1)>adenine (32240±5 cm-1), whereas their metal-ligand bond dissociation energies are about the same, (92–97) ±6 kJ mol-1. For all three complexes, the neutral bond energies are smaller than those of the corresponding ions due to a weaker electrostatic interaction and stronger electron repulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scandium (Sc) complexes of fluorobenzene (C6H5F), toluene (C6H5CH3), phenol (C6H5OH), and benzonitrile (C6H5CN) are produced in a laser-vaporization molecular beam source. These complexes are studied with pulsed-field-ionization zero-electron-kinetic-energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Adiabatic ionization energies and low-frequency metal-ligand and ligand-based vibrational modes are measured from the ZEKE spectra. Metal binding sites and strengths and electronic states are obtained by comparing the ZEKE spectra with the theoretical calculations. The ionization energies of Sc–C6H5X (X=F, CH3, OH, and CN) follow the trend of CN>F>OH>CH3, whereas the bond energies are in the order of CN>CH3∼OH>F. The metal-ligand stretching frequency of Sc+–C6H5CN is nearly twice as those of the other three complexes. All neutral complexes are in low-spin doublet ground states and singly-charged cations are in singlet states. The preferred Sc binding site in these complexes are the phenyl ring with X=F, CH3, and OH and the nitrile group with CN. For the phenol complex, two rotational conformers are identified in different OH orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-pyridine (metal=Li, Ca, and Sc) complexes are produced inlaser-vaporization molecular beams and studied by pulsed-field-ionization zero-electron-kinetic-energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Both σ and π structures are considered for the three complexes by theory, and preferred structures are determined by the combination of the ZEKE spectra and calculations. The Li and Ca complexes prefer a σ bonding mode, whereas the Sc complex favors a π mode. Adiabatic ionization energies and metal-ligand vibrational frequencies are determined from the ZEKE spectra. Metal-ligand bond dissociation energies of the neutral complexes are obtained from a thermodynamic cycle. The ionization energies follow the trend of Li-pyridine (32 460 cm-1)≤Ca-pyridine(39 043 cm-1)≤Sc-pyridine(42 816 cm-1), whereas the bond energies are in the order of Ca-pyridine (27.0 kJ mol-1)≤Li-pyridine(49.1 kJ mol-1)≤Sc-pyridine(110.6 kJ mol-1). The different bonding modes between the main group metals and transition element are discussed in terms of Sc 3d orbital involvement. The bond energy differences between the Li and Ca metals are explained by the number of valence s electrons and the size of the metal atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-thymine (Al–C4H3N2O2CH3) is produced by laser vaporization of a rod made of Al and thymine powders in a molecular beam and studied by single-photon pulsed-field ionization-zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) photoelectron and IR-UV resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The ZEKE experiment determines the adiabatic ionization energy of the neutral complex and 22 vibrational modes for the corresponding ion with frequencies below 2000 cm-1. The IR-UV photoionization experiment measures two N–H and three C–H stretches for the neutral species. The theoretical calculations predict a number of low-energy isomers with Al binding to single oxygen or adjacent oxygen and nitrogen atoms of thymine. Among these isomers, the structure with Al binding to the O4 atom of the diketo tautomer is predicted to be the most stable one by the theory and is probed by both ZEKE and IR-UV measurements. This work presents the first application of the IR-UV resonant ionization to metal-organic molecule systems. Like ZEKE spectroscopy, the IR-UV photoionization technique is sensitive for identifying isomeric structures of metal association complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a series of experiments devoted to the study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for astrophysical applications, the S[sub 2]←S[sub 0] transition of jet-cooled pyrene (C[sub 16]H[sub 10]) at 321 nm has been studied by an absorption technique for the first time. The spectra observed by cavity ring-down spectroscopy closely resemble the excitation spectra obtained earlier by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and show the same band clusters arising from the vibronic interaction of S[sub 2] with S[sub 1]. We have also investigated pyrene when it was incorporated into 380 mK cold helium droplets. These spectra which were recorded employing LIF and molecular beam depletion spectroscopy are broadened and redshifted by 0.94 nm but retain the essential features of the gas phase spectra. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technique of pulsed field ionization electron spectroscopy is employed to study the synthesis and molecular structure of aluminum uracil.