Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Dispersed Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Jet-Cooled Isopentoxy Radicals

The B̃-X̃ laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and dispersed fluorescence (DF) spectra of jet-cooled isopentoxy radicals have been obtained. The LIF spectrum of isopentoxy lacks strong transitions to the CO-stretch levels that are typical for alkoxy radicals. Instead, it contains two low-frequency vibrational progressions due to large-amplitude motions of the GG' and GG conformers involving torsion of the C₁C₂C₃H dihedral angle. Other vibronic bands observed in the LIF spectrum are attributed to the TG conformer. Molecular carriers of the vibronic transitions in the LIF spectrum are identified by comparing the experimentally obtained spectrum and the simulated one. DF spectra of the GG and TG conformers are dominated by strong vibrational progressions of the CO-stretch mode when the origin or the CO-stretch band is pumped. When non-CO-stretch bands are pumped, the DF spectra are dominated by combination bands of the CO stretch and the pumped mode. Ã-X̃ separations of the GG and TG conformers were also determined from the DF spectra.