The structure and bond energy of ArCl2

Abstract

The geometry and bond energy of ArCl2 are obtained by the technique of parity selected excitation spectroscopy. This is a pump–probe technique in which the probe laser is set to detect specific rotational levels of the B state of Cl2 while the pump laser is tuned through an ArCl2 B–X band. Since the excitation spectrum obtained depends on the parity of the detected Cl2 rotational level, the ArCl2 complex must have a symmetrical, T-shaped geometry on average over the time scale of the experiment, ∼100 ps. Simulation of the observed spectra, which show partially resolved rotational structure, yields an argon to chlorine center of mass distance of 3.7 Å for both the X and B electronic states of the complex. By measuring the threshold for dissociation to the v=6, j=8 level of the Cl2 B state, the Ar–Cl2 bond energy was determined to be 178 cm−1 in the B state and 188 cm−1 in the X state. These results are quite different from those on the isovalent complex ArClF which is a linear molecule with an Ar–Cl bond length of 3.33 Å, and a bond energy of 230 cm−1.