Pulsed field ionization-zero electron kinetic energy and laser induced dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy of transition metal containing molecules

The techniques of resonant two-photon ionization-pulsed field ionization-zero electron kinetic energy (R2PI-PFI-ZEKE) spectroscopy and laser induced dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy were used to investigate molecules that contain one or more transition metal atoms. This research was done to elucidate the electronic structure of these molecules. The modification of an instrument to make an R2PI-PFI-ZEKE apparatus was undertaken to provide a complementary experiment to the existing resonant two photon ionization (R2PI) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) instruments.; Spectra of yttriurn oxide (YO) cation have been collected using R2PI-PFI-ZEKE spectroscopy. Rotational resolution scans and Rydberg series spectra allowed the determination of the ionization energy of YO, I.E. (YO) = 49,304.316 +/- 0.031 cm-1 and a bond length for the X1S+ ground state of YO+, r''+0 = 1.7478 +/- 0.0006 A.; Dispersed fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study nickel silicide (NiSi) and nickel copper (NiCu). The observed fluorescence of NiSi yielded the vibrational frequency (oe = 4.66.78 +/- 0.48 cm -1) and anharmonicity (oexe = 2.02 +/- 0.03 cm-1) of the X1S+ ground state. The dispersed fluorescence study of NiCu yielded similar information about the ground state and low lying states. The results are compared to a ligand field plus spin-orbit calculation of the ground manifold of states. Vibrational frequencies for the ground state and three low lying states are reported for NiCu.