Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy on weakly bound complexes of CH2OO with Ar, CO, and N2

Abstract

Pure rotational transitions of weakly bound complexes of the simplest Criegee intermediate CH2OO with Ar, CO, and N2 are observed by Fourier-transform microwave (FTMW) and FTMW-MW double-resonance spectroscopy. Many of the observed lines show doublet peaks associated with the tunneling splitting between the two equivalent configurations of the complexes. The intermolecular distances of the complexes are derived from the precise rotational constants determined in this study. The separations between two components of the doublet peaks observed for c-type transitions of CH2OO–Ar are satisfactorily demonstrated by a one-dimensional hindered rotor model for the internal rotation of the CH2OO monomer.