The puzzling hyper-fine structure and an accurate equilibrium geometry of succinic anhydride

An accurate semiexperimental equilibrium structure of succinic anhydride has been determined from a combination of experiment and theory. The cm-wave and mm-wave rotational spectra of succinic anhydride, 3,4-dihydrofuran-2,5-dione, were recorded in a pulsed supersonic jet using Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy and in a free-jet using mm-wave absorption spectroscopy. Many lines in the cm-wave spectrum show fine structure and after eliminating all other possibilities the origin of this fine structure is determined to be from spin-spin interaction. Accurate rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants are determined. Assignments of 13C and 18O singly substituted isotopologues in natural abundance were used to obtain a substitution geometry for the heavy atoms of succinic anhydride. Theoretical approaches permitted the calculation of a Born-Oppenheimer ab initio structure and the determination of a semiexperimental equilibrium structure in which computed rovibrational corrections were utilized to convert vibrational ground state rotational constants into equilibrium constants. The agreement between the semiexperimental structure and the Born-Oppenheimer ab initio structure is excellent. Succinic anhydride has been shown to have a planar heavy atom equilibrium structure with the effects of a large amplitude vibration apparent in the resultant rotational constants.