High resolution photoelectron spectroscopy and femtosecond intramolecular dynamics using supersonic molecular beams

High resolution He I{alpha} photoelectron spectroscopy of formaldehyde and ketene and their deuterated compounds, are reported. The combination of a (H2CO) double-pass high-resolution electron-energy analyzer and effective rotational cooling of the sample by supersonic expansion enable the spectroscopy of these molecular cations. The vibrational autocorrelation functions are calculated from the high-resolution photoelectron spectra, shedding light on the ultrafast intramolecular dynamics of the molecular cations. This study reveals much more vibrational structural detail in the first electronic excited state of H2CO cations. The first electronic excited state of H2CO cations may have nonplanar equilibrium geometry. Strong isotope effects on vibronic (vibrational) coupling are observed in the second electronic excited state of H2CO. Vibrational autocorrelation functions are calculated for all four observed electronic states of H2CO. The correlation function of the first electronic excited state of H2CO shows a slow decay rate on the femtosecond time scale. The ultrafast decay of the H2CO cations in the third electronic excited state implies that dissociation and intramolecular processes are the main decay pathways. The present spectra of the ground states of ketene cations have more fine structure than before. The AIEs of the first and fifth excited states are determined unambiguously more accurately. Themore » doublet-like fine structures present in the lint excited state of ketene implies the excitation of a ``soft`` mode not observed before. The vibrational autocorrelation functions are calculated for 4 of the 6 observed electronic states. The dynamics of the ground states of the cations are characterized by a wave packet oscillating with small amplitude around the minimum on the upper PES. The decay dynamics of the first and the fifth excited states of ketene are characterized by ultra-fast intramolecular processes like predissociation.« less