Mass resolved excitation spectroscopy of radicals: Benzyl and phenylnitrene

摘要

Twohyphen;color mass resolved excitation spectra are obtained for the benzyl and lsquo;lsquo;phenylnitrenersquo;rsquo; radicals. The spectrum previously assigned to the benzyl radical is generated by a species with mass 91 amu. This finding is consistent with the proposed C6H5Cdot;H2benzyl radical structure. The origin of this 1thinsp;2A2larr;1thinsp;2A1transition lies at 21thinsp;997 cmminus;1. The ionization energy for the benzyl radical is sim;7.236 eV. The phenylnitrene radical spectrum is associated with a species of 90 amu. The phenylnitrene designation is not appropriate for this mass number: the suggested cyanocyclopentadienyl radical species (C5H4CN) is consistent with this mass. This radical has an ionization threshold of sim;9.05 eV. Lifetimes are reported for a number of the vibronic states of both radicals.