Imaging spectroscopy of the missing REMPI bands of methyl radicals: Final touches on all vibrational frequencies of the 3p Rydberg states.

Abstract

(2 + 1) resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) detection of methyl radicals, in particular that via the intermediate 3p Rydberg states, has shown to be a powerful method and thus enjoyed a wide range of applications. Methyl has six vibrational modes. Among them-including partially and fully deuterated isotopologs-four out of twenty vibrational frequencies in the intermediate 3p states have so far eluded direct spectroscopic determination. Here, by exploiting the imaging spectroscopy approach to a few judiciously selected chemical reactions, the four long-sought REMPI bands-CHD2(611), CH2D(311), CH2D(511), and CH2D(611)-are discovered, which complete the REMPI identification for probing any vibrational mode of excitation of methyl radical and its isotopologs. These results, in conjunction with those previously reported yet scattered in the literature, are summarized here for ready reference, which should provide all necessary information for further spectral assignments and future studies of chemical dynamics using this versatile REMPI scheme.