A rigorous detection of interstellar CH3NCO: An important missing species in astrochemical networks.

The recent analysis of the composition of the frozen surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has revealed a significant number of complex organic molecules. Methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO) is one of the more abundant species detected on the comet surface. In this work we report extensive characterization of its rotational spectrum resulting in a list of 1269 confidently assigned laboratory lines and its detection in space towards the Orion clouds where 399 lines of the molecule have been unambiguously identified. We find that the limited mm-wave laboratory data reported prior to our work require some revision. The abundance of CH3NCO in Orion is only a factor of ten below those of HNCO and CH3CN. Unlike the molecular abundances in the coma of comets, which correlate with those of warm molecular clouds, molecular abundances in the gas phase in Orion are only weakly correlated with those measured on the comet surface. We also compare our abundances with those derived recently for this molecule towards Sgr B2 (Halfen et al. 2015). A more accurate abundance of CH3NCO is provided for this cloud based on our extensive laboratory work.

Rotation-vibration interactions in the spectra of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Quinoline as a test-case species.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are highly relevant for astrophysics as possible, though controversial, carriers of the unidentified infrared emission bands that are observed in a number of different astronomical objects. In support of radio-astronomical observations, high resolution laboratory spectroscopy has already provided the rotational spectra in the vibrational ground state of several molecules of this type, although the rotational study of their dense infrared (IR) bands has only recently become possible using a limited number of experimental set-ups. To date, all of the rotationally resolved data have concerned unperturbed spectra. We presently report the results of a high resolution study of the three lowest vibrational states of quinoline C9H7N, an N-bearing naphthalene derivative. While the pure rotational ground state spectrum of quinoline is unperturbed, severe complications appear in the spectra of the ν45 and ν44 vibrational modes (located at about 168 cm(-1) and 178 cm(-1), respectively). In order to study these effects in detail, we employed three different and complementary experimental techniques: Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy, millimeter-wave spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform far-infrared spectroscopy with a synchrotron radiation source. Due to the high density of states in the IR spectra of molecules as large as PAHs, perturbations in the rotational spectra of excited states should be ubiquitous. Our study identifies for the first time this effect and provides some insights into an appropriate treatment of such perturbations.

Influence of the geometry of a hydrogen bond on conformational stability: a theoretical and experimental study of ethyl carbamate.

Spectra of ethyl carbamate (urethane) in the gas phase have been recorded in the microwave (4-20 GHz), millimeter-wave (49-118 GHz and 150-235 GHz) and mid-infrared (1000-1900 cm(-1)) regions. At the same time, high level ab initio calculations have been performed in order to both predict the experimental results and help in understanding the physical properties of the system. An extensive set of spectroscopic constants for the two most stable conformers in the gas phase, that might be useful for astrophysical databases, has been derived from the observed signals. The most stable conformer has been unambiguously identified. Then, the influence of a weak intramolecular hydrogen bond on the conformational stability has been discussed on the basis of theoretical and experimental results.

The rotational spectra, electric dipole moments and molecular structures of anisole and benzaldehyde.

The rotational spectra of anisole and of benzaldehyde were investigated in supersonic expansion at frequencies up to 41 GHz, and at room temperature in the millimetre-wave region, from 170 to 330 GHz. Accurate spectroscopic constants for the parent isotopomers in the ground vibrational state and for the first excited torsional state were determined for both molecules. The supersonic expansion spectrum allowed measurement, in natural abundance, of all singly substituted 13C isotopomers, as well as of the 18O isotopomer for both anisole and benzaldehyde. The rotational constants were used to determine the r(s) and the r(m)(1) gas-phase geometries, which are found to be consistent with prediction of bond length alternation in the phenyl ring induced by the asymmetric substituent. Stark measurements were made on the supersonic expansion spectrum resulting in electric dipole moment determination, /mu a/ = 2.9061(22) D, /mu b/ = 1.1883(10) D, /mu tOt/ = 3.1397(24) D for benzaldehyde and /mu a/ = 0.6937(12) D, /mu b/ = 1.0547(8) D, mu tOt = 1.2623(14) D for anisole. During the investigation it was found that use of a carrier gas mixture consisting of 30% Ar in He carries significant advantages for studies of weak lines, and pertinent experimental details are reported.

High-Resolution Infrared and Millimeter-Wave Study of D(3)SiF: The Ground and v(3)=1 States of the (29)Si and (30)Si Species, and the v(3)=v(6)=1 and v(3)=2 States of D(3) (28)SiF.

The nu(3) band of D(3)SiF near 890 cm(-1) recorded with a resolution of 2.4x10(-3) cm(-1) has been explored for the (29)Si and (30)Si isotopic species. Moreover, the nu(3)+nu(6)-nu(6) and 2nu(3)-nu(3) bands for the main (28)Si isotopomer have been assigned. For this purpose the nu(3)+nu(6) and 2nu(3) bands at 1435.697 and 1769.531 cm(-1) have been studied. Ground state parameters of the (29)Si and (30)Si species have been determined by merging newly measured MMW frequencies and ground state combination differences. In addition, v(3)=1 excited state parameters for these species have been obtained. While for the (28)Si species the v(3)=v(6)=1 state is locally perturbed by levels of the v(2)+v(5)=2 polyad, the v(3)=2 state appears to be unperturbed, its parameters being predictable from those of the v(3)=1 state. Anharmonicity constants x(33)=-4.1334 cm(-1) and x(36)=-3.6547 cm(-1) have been determined. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

The Gas-Phase Electric Dipole Moments of the Symmetric Top Tertiary Butyl Molecules (t)BuX, X=F, Cl, Br, I, CN, and NC.

The electric dipole moments of symmetric top tertiary butyl derivatives were determined from Stark effect measurements made with cavity Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy under conditions of supersonic expansion. The resulting values are 1.9562(15), 2.1817(16), 2.2574(17) and 2.2122(17) D for tertiary butyl fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide, and 4.0129(30), and 4.0640(31) for tertiary butyl cyanide and isocyanide, respectively. The experimental values are compared with ab initio calculations and with experimental and calculated dipole moments for the corresponding methyl derivatives. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Pre-reactive complexes in mixtures of water vapour with halogens: characterisation of H2O...ClF and H2O...F2 by a combination of rotational spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

Complexes H2O...ClF and H2O...F2 were detected by means of their ground-state rotational spectra in mixtures of water vapour with chlorine monofluoride and difluorine, respectively. A fast-mixing nozzle was used in conjunction with a pulsed-jet, Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer to preclude the vigorous chemical reaction that these dihalogen species undergo with water. The ground-state spectra of seven isotopomers (H2 16O...35ClF, H2 16O...ClF, H2 18O...35ClF, D2 16O... 35ClF, D2 16O...37ClF, HDO...35ClF and HDO...37ClF) of the ClF complex and five isotopomers (H2O...F2, H2 18O...F2, D2O...F2, D2 18O...Fi and HDO...F2) of the F2 complex were analysed to yield rotational constants, quartic centrifugal distortion constants and nuclear hyperfine coupling constants. These spectroscopic constants were interpreted with the aid of simple models of the complexes to give effective geometries and intermolecular stretching force constants. Isotopic substitution showed that in each complex the H2O molecule acts as the electron donor and either CIF or F2 acts as the electron acceptor, with nuclei in the order H2O...ClF or H2O...F2. For H2O...ClF, the angle phi between the bisector of the HOH angle and the O...Cl internuclear line has the value 58.9(16)degrees, while the distance r(O...Cl)= 2.6081(23) A. The corresponding quantities for H2O...F2 are phi = 48.5(21)degrees and r(O...Fi) = 2.7480(27) A, where Fi indicates the inner F atom. The potential energy V(phi) as a function of the angle phi was obtained from ab initio calculations at the aug-cc-pVDZ/MP2 level of theory for each complex by carrying out geometry optimisations at fixed values of phi in the range +/-80degrees. The global minimum corresponded to a complex of Cs symmetry with a pyramidal configuration at O in each. The function V(phi) was of the double-minimum type in each case with equilibrium values phie = +/-55.8degrees and +/-40.5degrees for H2O...ClF and H2O...F2, respectively. The barrier at the planar C2v conformation was V0= 174cm(-1) for H2O...ClF and 7cm(-1) for H2O...F2. For the latter complex, the zero-point energy level lies above the top of the barrier.

The angleICI Bending Satellites in the Millimeter-Wave Rotational Spectra of CH(2)I(2) and CD(2)I(2).

Rotational transitions in the first four excited states of the low-frequency angleICI bending mode, nu(4), have been assigned in the mm-wave rotational spectra of CH(2)I(2) and of CD(2)I(2). Measurements of transition frequencies, made over the frequency region 167-326 GHz and for J" up to 190, allowed determination of sextic level spectroscopic constants for all states. The changes in spectroscopic constants with vibrational excitation show very small anharmonicity, in spite of the very low frequency of this mode (121 cm(-1)). Vibrational excitation affects the moments of inertia in such a way that the planar moment P(b), about the plane perpendicular to both angleICI and angleHCH, is practically invariant. Vibrational change in P(c), the moment along the principal axis in the HCH plane and perpendicular to the angleHCH bisector, has been successfully reproduced with an ab initio harmonic force field so that there is no discernible vibrational change in angleHCH on excitation of angleICI. Finally, the change in P(a) leads to estimated vibrational change of +0.12 degrees in the value of angleICI itself. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

High-Resolution FTIR and Millimeter-Wave Study of D(3)SiF: The Ground, v(3) = 1, and v(6) = 1 and 2 States.

The nu(6) (555.453 cm(-1)), the nu(3) (888.899 cm(-1)), and the very weak 2nu(6) infrared bands (2nu(-/+2)(6) 1101.734 cm(-1), 2nu(0)(6) 1100.102 cm(-1)) for the (28)Si species of D(3)SiF have been recorded with a resolution of 3.3, 2.4, and 5.0 x 10(-3) cm(-1), respectively. Millimeter-wave spectra up to 640 GHz of D(3)SiF in the ground, v(3) = 1, and v(6) = 1 and 2 states were measured. Ground state constants complete up to H constants including the K-dependent parameters A(0), D(0)(K), and H(0)(K) as obtained by the nu(+/-1)(6)/2nu(+/-2)(6)-nu(+/-1)(6)/2nu(-/+2)(6) loop method were determined by a merge of 2388 ground state combination differences with 59 rotational data. The v(3) = 1 and v(6) = 1 and 2 levels appear to be unperturbed intervibrationally for the J and K values that could be accessed. However, Deltal = Deltak = +/-2 and Deltal = +/-2, Deltak = -/+4 interactions affect the v(6) = 1 level while the v(6) = 2 levels undergo three interactions of Deltal = Deltak = +/-2, Deltal = +/-2, Deltak = -/+1 and Deltal = +/-4, Deltak = -/+2 type. Typically, for the different bands, 2000-4000 pieces of infrared data augmented by 36-120 rotational data were fitted together. Owing to the weakness of the 2nu(6) band, the body of v(6) = 2 data was enlarged by energies that are deduced from the 2nu(6)-nu(6) and nu(6) bands and which span in particular high K values. Comparison with available ab initio data derived from the harmonic and anharmonic force fields is made. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Investigation of the Rotational Spectrum of Pyrimidine from 3 to 337 GHz: Molecular Structure, Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling, and Vibrational Satellites.

A comprehensive reinvestigation of the rotational spectrum of pyrimidine was carried out by using several different spectrometers. All singly substituted 13C- and 15N-isotopic species of pyrimidine have been measured in natural abundance with millimeter-wave free jet and waveguide Fourier transform microwave techniques, and complete rs and r0 heavy atom geometries have been determined. The ground state rotational spectrum in the centimeter-wave region was measured at sub-Doppler resolution of the cavity Fourier transform spectrometer and all elements in the inertial and principal nuclear quadrupole-coupling tensors of the nitrogen nuclei in pyrimidine have been determined. The room-temperature spectrum was measured up to 337 GHz and J = 66 with BWO-based spectrometers and sextic level centrifugal distortion constants in the rotational Hamiltonian have been determined for the ground state and three lowest vibrational fundamentals of pyrimidine. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

The Coriolis Interaction between the v2 = 1 and v3 = 2 States of Nitrosyl Bromide: Anomalous Quadrupole Patterns and Interstate Transitions in the Millimeter-Wave Spectrum.

The millimeter-wave rotational spectra of 79BrNO and 81BrNO in the v2 = 1 and v3 = 2 vibrational states have been reinvestigated. Measurements of the rotational spectrum in the region of maximum c-type Coriolis interaction between the two states allowed the previous analysis to be extended to account for some uncommon effects. For the most perturbed transitions the nuclear quadrupole hyperfine structure arises from coupling of not only the bromine nucleus, but also the nitrogen nucleus with the rotational angular momentum. These effects were satisfactorily fitted with a Hamiltonian describing Coriolis coupling in a molecule with two quadrupolar nuclei. The successful analysis of pure rotational transitions then allowed accurate prediction of rovibrational transitions, six of which were measured for 79BrNO and four for 81BrNO. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling in 1,1,1-Trichloroethane: Inertial and Principal Tensors for 35Cl and 37Cl.

The hyperfine structure in the J = 1 <-- 0 and J = 2 <-- 1 transitions of 35Cl3CCH3 and 35Cl237ClCCH3 was resolved by utilizing the sub-Doppler resolution of a pulsed supersonic beam, cavity Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometer. The complete inertial and principal quadrupole tensors of the chlorine nuclei are determined. The symmetric top treatment for 35Cl3CCH3 and the asymmetric top treatment for 35Cl237ClCCH3 are found to yield identical results for the principal tensor components of the 35Cl nucleus. The quadrupole asymmetry parameter eta for the chlorine nuclei in 1,1,1-trichloroethane is small, which indicates nearly cylindrical symmetry of the field gradient. Nevertheless, there is evidence for some deviation of the z symmetry axis of the field gradient from the direction of the C-Cl bond. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Rotational Spectrum of CD2I2

The rotational spectrum of CD2I2 was measured and analyzed by combining results from two different millimeter wave spectrometers. Low-J transitions were measured with a free jet spectrometer at conditions of completely resolved hyperfine structure over the frequency range 59-69 GHz. High-J rotational transitions were measured at room temperature at frequencies 167-338 GHz and for J" up to 190". Spectroscopic constants in the sextic rotational Hamiltonian of CD2I2 have been determined, and the analysis of the observed hyperfine structure yielded all components in the inertial and in the principal nuclear quadrupole coupling tensors for the iodine nuclei. The rotational constants for CD2I2 and those for CH2I2 from Z. Kisiel, L. Pszczólkowski, W. Caminati, and P. G. Favero (1996. J. Chem. Phys. 105, 1778-1785) have been used to evaluate a full r0 structure and have been combined with the results of ab initio calculations to also evaluate the average r* structure: r(CI) = 2.1364 Å, r(CH) = 1.078 Å, <(ICI) = 113.83 degrees, and <(HCH) = 113.3 degrees. The current results complete the first analysis of a rotational spectrum of a molecule containing two iodine nuclei. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

The Rotational Spectrum of CBrClF2 (Halon BCF): II. The Lowest Excited Vibrational States and Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling Tensors

The analysis of the millimeter-wave rotational spectrum of the well-known halon molecule CBrClF2 was extended to rotational transitions in the excited vibrational states v9 = 1 (307 cm-1) and v5 = 1 (337 cm-1). The two states are appreciably coupled by a- and b-axis Coriolis interaction which was treated explicitly and spectroscopic constants were determined from measurements at frequencies from 121 to 330 GHz and J" from 18 to 111. The present work, together with our previous study (1996. J. Mol. Spectrosc. 177, 240-250), results in accurate constants in the rotational Hamiltonian for the four lowest vibrational states of C79Br35ClF2 and C81Br35ClF2. The double nucleus hyperfine structure in low-J transitions of the two 35Cl isotopomers of CBrClF2 was also measured in the region 3-14 GHz with a supersonic beam, cavity Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. All constants in both the inertial and the principal nuclear quadrupole coupling tensors have been determined for both Br and Cl nuclei. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997Academic Press