A high resolution spectroscopic study of rhodium monochloride

Abstract

Rhodium monochloride has been observed and characterized spectroscopically for the first time. The RhCl molecules were produced in a laser vaporization molecular beam source by the reaction of a laser vaporized rhodium plasma with CCl 4 doped in helium, and laser-induced fluorescence and dispersed fluorescence were used to study 15 of the strongest bands spanning the 535–415 nm region. Twelve of these bands were studied at high resolution using a cw ring dye laser. Two low-lying states separated by 140 cm −1 have been observed. The ground state has Ω = 2 and is attributed to a 3Π i state resulting from a δ 4 π 3 σ 1 electronic configuration. The other low-lying state has Ω = 3 and is attributed to a 3Δ i state resulting from a δ 3 π 4 σ 1 electronic configuration. Excited states with Ω values ranging from 1 to 4 have been observed. Dispersed fluorescence from these excited levels has been used to identify a large number of low-lying electronic states within an energy range of 5200 cm −1 and has also been used to determine a ground state vibrational frequency of ∼348 cm −1. Λ-doublings have been observed in all the transitions studied at high resolution.