Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Jet-Cooled t-Butoxy

The vibrational structures of the Ã(2)A1 and X̃(2)E states of t-butoxy were obtained in jet-cooled laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and dispersed fluorescence (DF) spectroscopic measurements. The observed transitions are assigned based on vibrational frequencies calculated using the complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) method and the predicted Franck-Condon factors. The spin-orbit splitting was measured to be 36(5) cm(-1) for the lowest vibrational level of the ground (X̃(2)E) state, which is significantly smaller than that of methoxy, and increases with increasing vibrational quantum number of the CO stretch mode. Vibronic analysis of the DF spectra suggests that Jahn-Teller active modes of the ground-state t-butoxy radical are similar to those of methoxy and would be the same if methyl groups were replaced by hydrogen atoms. The rotational and fine structure of the LIF transition to the first CO stretch overtone level of the Ã(2)A1 state has been simulated using a spectroscopic model first proposed for methoxy, yielding an accurate determination of the rotational constants of both à and X̃ states.