Infrared Laser Spectroscopy of Jahn-Teller Active Radicals in a Supersonic Jet

在化学学部物理化学项目中，佛罗里达州立大学化学系S.C. Foster教授将对Jahn-Teller活性分子的高分辨率红外光谱进行一系列研究。一种新型的高频调制电晕激励超音速射流放电将被用于产生感兴趣的物质。甲氧基、硫甲氧基和甲基硝基自由基将被研究。虽然对多原子分子的旋转-振动-电子谱的研究很多，但对这类分子的自由基的研究相对较少。这种研究的缺乏通常是由于这些物种的反应性很强，因此在生产足够数量的适合实验研究的它们时遇到了困难。在期望具有轴对称的自由基种中，情况往往不是这样。由于电子运动和某些振动模式之间的特殊相互作用，自由基偏离了预期的对称性。这就是著名的扬-泰勒效应。本研究致力于Jahn-Teller活性分子的研究，目的是建立一个适合发展适当理论模型的数据库。

In this project in the Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. S.C. Foster of the Chemistry Department of Florida State University will conduct a series of investigations in the high resolution infrared spectroscopy of Jahn-Teller active molecules. A novel high frequency modulated corona- excited supersonic jet discharge will be used to produce the species of interest. The methoxy, thiomethoxy, and methyl nitrene radicals will be investigated. While there have been many investigations of the rotation-vibration-electronic spectra of polyatomic molecules, there have been relatively few which deal with the radicals of such molecules. This paucity of such investigations is generally due to the great reactivity of these species and thus the difficulties encountered in producing sufficient amounts of them suitable for experimental study. In radical species which are expected to possess axial symmetry this is often not the case. The radicals are distorted away from their expected symmetry due to a special interaction between the electronic motions and some of the vibrational modes. This is known as the Jahn-Teller effect. This research is devoted to the study of Jahn-Teller active molecules with the aim to establish a data base suitable for the development of appropriate theoretical models.