Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
06:53
Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Spectroscopy, structure, and ionization energy of BeOBe
Jeremy M Merritt1, Vladimir E Bondybey, Michael C Heaven
1Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|November 20, 2009
Summary
This study investigated electronic transitions in beryllium oxide (BeOBe) molecules. Researchers determined the molecule's structure, bond length, and ionization energy using advanced spectroscopic techniques.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Molecular Spectroscopy
- Quantum Chemistry
Background:
- Beryllium oxide (BeOBe) is a molecule with interesting electronic properties.
- Understanding its electronic transitions is crucial for characterizing its structure and reactivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electronic transitions of BeOBe.
- To determine its molecular constants, including bond length and ionization energy.
- To elucidate the symmetry and electronic structure of BeOBe.
Main Methods:
- Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy
- Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy
- Stimulated emission pumping (SEP) spectroscopy
- Multireference electronic structure calculations
Main Results:
- Identified vibronic progressions corresponding to symmetric and antisymmetric stretching vibrations.
- Confirmed the symmetric structure and 1 Sigma(g)+ ground state symmetry of BeOBe.
- Determined a BeO bond length of 1.396(3) Å.
- Measured the ionization energy of BeOBe to be 8.119(5) eV.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully characterized the electronic transitions and molecular properties of BeOBe.
- Experimental and computational results provide a comprehensive understanding of BeOBe's electronic structure.
- The determined molecular constants and symmetry are valuable for future theoretical and experimental studies.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission
Molecules possess discrete energy levels called quantum states. Unlike atoms, which have simpler energy levels, molecules possess additional rotational and vibrational energy levels. Each energy level is separated by an energy gap, with the gaps between adjacent electronic, vibrational, and rotational levels varying significantly. The three types of energy levels in a diatomic molecule are shown in Figure 1.
01:23Atomic Spectroscopy: Absorption, Emission, and Fluorescence
Atomic spectroscopy is a vital tool in elemental analysis, both qualitatively and quantitatively. It can be broadly divided into optical spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and X-ray spectroscopy methods. The optical spectroscopic methods are atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), and atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (AFS). The first step in all three methods is atomization, where the solid, liquid, or solution-phase samples are converted into gas-phase atoms and...
01:24IR Spectroscopy: Molecular Vibration Overview
When Infrared (IR) radiation passes through a covalently bonded molecule, the bonds transition from lower to higher vibrational levels. The fundamental vibrational motions that result in infrared absorption can be classified as stretching or bending vibrations.
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...
01:16UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions
In Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, the absorption of electromagnetic radiation is used to probe the electronic structure of molecules. This technique provides insights into molecular electronic transitions, particularly the movement of electrons between different molecular orbitals. Radiation is absorbed if the energy of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the molecule is precisely equal to the energy difference between the excited and ground states. During this process,...
03:12Ionization Energy
The amount of energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from a gaseous atom in its ground state is called its first ionization energy (IE1). The first ionization energy for an element, X, is the energy required to form a cation with 1+ charge:
01:21Chemical Ionization (CI) Mass Spectrometry
The molecular ion peak of a molecule in the mass spectrum provides vital information for molecular identification. However, conventional electron impact ionization can lead to the rapid dissociation of some molecular ions before they reach the detector. A milder ionization method is required to increase the lifetime of such ionized analyte molecules. Chemical ionization (CI) is a gas-phase protonation reaction useful for mass-analyzing analyte molecules that are easily protonated to yield the...