arXiv subjects

A. J. Barclay

Publications and source records attributed to A. J. Barclay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Low temperature jet spectra of (DFE)2, DFE-He, DFE-He2 and DFE in the 2210-3105 cm-1 region (DFE = 1,1 difluoroethylene)

A pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion of a dilute mixture of 1,1 difluoroethylene (DFE) in helium is probed using a tunable infrared source to obtain spectra of (DFE)2, DFE-He, and DFE-He2. The DFE dimer is found to have a slipped antiparallel structure with two-fold rotational symmetry and little or no dipole moment (explaining why no pure rotational spectrum has been observed). The separation of the monomer centers of mass is 3.44 Å. The spectra of DFE-He show line splittings due to tunneling of the He atom from one side of the DFE plane to the other. Rotational analysis of the DFE-He tunneling components in terms of a conventional asymmetric rotor yields small systematic errors due to the presence of large amplitude motions. A relatively weak spectrum is analyzed for one band of DFE-He2, whose structure places the two He atoms in equivalent positions on each side of DFE, very close to the location of He in DFE-He. Extensive spectra of DFE monomer were also obtained while searching for the cluster bands. A total of 23 bands from 2210 to 3105 cm-1 were observed. These are the first such high resolution results in this region, and they are of special interest because DFE has been a prototype for the study of vibrational anharmonicity and resonances

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2024

Spectra of the D2O dimer in the O-D fundamental stretch region: the acceptor symmetric stretch fundamental and new combination bands

The O-D stretch fundamental region of the deuterated water dimer, (D2O)2, is further studied using a pulsed supersonic slit jet and a tunable optical parametric oscillator infrared source. The previously unobserved acceptor symmetric O-D stretch fundamental vibration is detected, with Ka = 0 <-- 0 and 1 <-- 0 sub-bands at about 2669 and 2674 cm-1, respectively. Analysis indicates that the various water dimer tunneling splittings generally decrease in the excited vibrational state, similar to the three other previously observed O-D stretch fundamentals. Two new (D2O)2 combination bands are observed, giving information on intermolecular vibrations in the excited O-D stretch states. The likely vibrational assignments for these and a previously observed combination band are discussed.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2023

Doped rare gas clusters up to completion of first solvation shell, CO2-(Rg)n, n = 3-17, Rg = Ar, Kr, Xe

Spectra of rare gas atom clusters containing a single carbon dioxide molecule are observed using a tunable mid-infrared (4.3 micron) source to probe a pulsed slit jet supersonic expansion. There are relatively few previous detailed experimental results on such clusters. The assigned clusters include CO2-Arn with n = 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, and 17, as well as CO2-Krn and -Xen with n = 3, 4, and 5. Each spectrum has (at least) partially resolved rotational structure, and each yields precise values for the shift of the CO2 vibrational frequency (nu3) induced by the nearby rare gas atoms, together with one or more rotational constants. These results are compared with theoretical predictions. The more readily assigned CO2-Arn species tend to be those with symmetric structures, and CO2-Ar17 represents completion of a highly symmetric (D5h) solvation shell. Those not assigned (e.g. n = 7, 13) are probably also present in the observed spectra, but with band structures which are not well-resolved and thus not recognizable. The spectra of CO2-Ar9, -Ar15, and -Ar17 suggest the presence of sequences involving very low frequency (~2 cm-1) cluster vibrational modes, an interpretation which should be amenable to theoretical confirmation (or rejection).

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2022

Spectra of CO2-Rg2 and CO2-Rg-He trimers (Rg = Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe): intermolecular CO2 rock, vibrational shifts and three-body effects

Weakly-bound CO2-Rg2 trimers are studied by high resolution (0.002 cm-1) infrared spectroscopy in the region of the CO2 nu3 fundamental band (~2350 cm-1), using a tunable OPO to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion with an effective rotational temperature of about 2 K. CO2-Ar2 spectra have been reported previously, but are extended here to include Rg = Ne, Kr, and Xe as well as new combination and hot bands. For Kr and Xe, a unified scaled parameter scheme is used to account for the many possible isotopic species. Vibrational shifts of CO2-Rg2 trimers are compared to those of CO2-Rg dimers, and in all cases the trimer shifts are slightly more positive (blue-shifted) than expected on the basis of linear extrapolation from the dimer. Combination bands directly measure an intermolecular vibrational mode (the CO2 rock), and gives values of about 32.2, 33.8, and 34.7 cm-1 for CO2-Ar2, -Kr2, and -Xe2. Structural parameters derived for CO2-Rg2 trimers are compared with those of CO2-Rg and Rg2 dimers. Spectra of the mixed trimers CO2-Rg-He are also reported.

physics.chem-ph↗

arXiv2022

Infrared spectra of (CO$_2$)$_2$-Rg trimers, Rg = Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe

High resolution spectra of (CO$_2$)$_2$-Rg trimers (Rg = Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) in the region of the CO2 nu3 fundamental (~2350 cm$^{-1}$) are reported, using a tunable OPO laser source to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. These (CO$_2$)$_2$-Rg transitions tend to be hidden among stronger spectra due to other species, such as CO$_2$-Rg and (CO$_2$)$_2$. Each trimer consists of a (CO$_2$)$_2$ unit which is similar to the free carbon dioxide dimer (planar parallel staggered) plus an Rg atom located out-of-plane on the dimer C$_2$ symmetry axis, but the (CO$_2$)$_2$ unit may not remain exactly planar in the dimer. Experimental structures show that the C-Rg bond lengths in the trimers are similar to those in the corresponding CO$_2$-Rg dimers. As well, the vibrational band origin shifts, relative to (CO$_2$)$_2$ itself, are similar to those of CO$_2$-Rg relative to CO$_2$.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2022

Observing the completion of the first solvation shell of carbon dioxide in argon from rotationally resolved spectra

Widespread interest in weakly bound molecular clusters of medium size (5-50 molecules) is motivated by their complicated energy landscapes, which lead to hundreds or thousands of distinct isomers. But most studies are theoretical in nature, and there are no experimental results which provide definitive structural information on completion of the first solvation shell. Here we assign rotationally resolved mid-infrared spectra to argon clusters containing a single carbon dioxide molecule, CO2-Ar15 and CO2-Ar17. These mark completion of the first solvation shell for CO2 in argon. The assignments are confirmed by nuclear spin intensity alternation in the spectra, a marker of highly symmetric structures for these clusters. Precise values are determined for rotational parameters, and for shifts of the CO2 vibrational frequency induced by the argon atoms. The spectra indicate possible low frequency (~2 cm-1) vibrational modes in these clusters, posing a challenge for future cluster theory.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2022

Weakly-bound clusters of atmospheric molecules: infrared spectra and structural calculations of (CO$_2$)$_n$-(CO)$_m$-(N$_2$)$_p$, $(n, m, p)$ = (2, 1, 0), (2, 0, 1), (1, 2, 0), (1, 0, 2), (1, 1, 1), (1, 3, 0), (1, 0, 3), (1, 2, 1), (1, 1, 2)

Structural calculations and high-resolution infrared spectra are reported for trimers and tetramers containing CO$_2$ together with CO and/or N$_2$. Among the 9 clusters studied here, only (CO$_2$)$_2$-CO was previously observed by high-resolution spectroscopy. The spectra, which occur in the region of the $ν_3$ fundamental of CO$_2$ (~2350 cm$^{-1}$), were recorded using a tunable optical parametric oscillator source to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. The trimers (CO$_2$)$_2$-CO and (CO$_2$)$_2$-N$_2$ have structures in which the CO or N$_2$ is aligned along the symmetry axis of a staggered side-by-side CO$_2$ dimer unit. The observation of two fundamental bands for (CO$_2$)$_2$-CO and (CO$_2$)$_2$-N$_2$ shows that this CO$_2$ dimer unit is non-planar, unlike (CO$_2$)$_2$ itself. For the trimers CO$_2$-(CO)$_2$ and CO$_2$-(N$_2$)$_2$, the CO or N$_2$ monomers occupy equivalent positions in the 'equatorial plane' of the CO$_2$, pointing toward its C atom. To form the tetramers CO$_2$-(CO)$_3$ and CO$_2$-(N$_2$)$_3$, a third CO or N$_2$ monomer is then added off to the 'side' of the first two. In the mixed tetramers CO$_2$-(CO)$_2$-N$_2$ and CO$_2$-CO-(N$_2$)$_2$, this 'side' position is taken by N2 and not CO. In addition to the fundamental bands, combination bands are also observed for (CO$_2$)$_2$-CO, CO$_2$-(CO)$_2$, and CO$_2$-(N$_2$)$_2$, yielding some information about their low-frequency intermolecular vibrations.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2021

New infrared spectra of CO2-Ne: fundamental for CO2-22Ne isotopologue, intermolecular bend, and symmetry breaking of the intramolecular CO2 bend

The infrared spectrum of the weakly-bound CO2-Ne complex is studied in the region of the carbon dioxide nu3 fundamental vibration (~2350 cm-1), using a tunable OPO laser source to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. For the fundamental CO2 transition (v1, v2l2, v3) = (0001) <-- (0000), both CO2-20Ne and CO2-22Ne are assigned and analyzed in combination with available microwave data to obtain the best currently available molecular parameters. In addition, combination bands involving the intermolecular bending mode are observed for both isotopologues, leading to the determination of the bending frequency in the CO2 excited state, which is 17.717 cm-1 for CO2-20Ne and 17.726 cm-1 for CO2-22Ne. For the hot band CO2 transition, (0111) <-- (0110), detection of the weak CO2-Ne spectrum reveals the symmetry breaking of the CO2 nu2 bending mode induced by the Ne atom, with the out-of-plane component determined to lie 0.057 cm-1 higher in energy than the in-plane component.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2021

Infrared spectra of both isomers of CO$_2$-CO in the CO$_2$ $ν_3$ region

Extensive infrared spectra of the weakly-bound CO$_2$-CO dimer are observed in the carbon dioxide $ν_3$ asymmetric stretch region (~2350 cm-1) using a tunable infrared OPO laser source to probe a pulsed slit jet supersonic expansion. Both C-bonded and O-bonded isomers are analyzed for the normal isotopologue as well as for 13CO$_2$-CO and $^{16}$O$^{13}$C$^{18}$O-CO, the latter being the first observation of an asymmetrically substituted form for which all values of Ka are allowed. Combination bands involving the lowest in-plane intermolecular bending modes are also studied for both isomers. Weak bands near 2337 cm-1 are assigned to CO$_2$ hot band transitions (v1, v2l2, v3) = (0111) <-- (0110), yielding the splitting of the degenerate CO$_2$ $ν_2$ bend into in-plane and out-of-plane components due to the presence of the CO. This splitting has rather different values for the C- and O- bonded isomers, 4.56 and 1.59 cm-1, respectively, with the out-of-plane mode higher in energy than the in-plane for both cases.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2021

New infrared spectra of CO2-Xe: modeling Xe isotope effects, intermolecular bend and stretch, and symmetry breaking of the CO2 bend

The infrared spectrum of the weakly-bound CO2-Xe complex is studied in the region of the carbon dioxide nu3 fundamental vibration (~2350 cm-1), using a tunable OPO laser source to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. The Xe isotope dependence of the spectrum is modeled by scaling the vibrational and rotational parameters, with the help of previous microwave data. The scaling model provides a good simulation of the observed broadening and (partial) splitting of transitions in the fundamental band, and it is essential for understanding the intermolecular bending combination band where some transitions are completely split by isotope effects. The combination band is influenced by a significant bend-stretch Coriolis interaction and by the relatively large Xe isotope dependence of the intermolecular stretch frequency. The weak CO2-Xe spectrum corresponding to the (0111) <-- (0110) hot band of CO2 is also detected and analyzed, providing a measurement of the symmetry breaking of the CO2 bending mode induced by the nearby Xe atom. This in-plane / out-of-plane splitting is determined to be 2.14 cm-1.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2021

Exploring the next step in micro-solvation of CO in water: Infrared spectra and structural calculations of (H2O)4- CO and (D2O)4- CO

We extend studies of micro-solvation of carbon monoxide by a combination of high-resolution IR spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Spectra of the (H2O)4-CO and (D2O)4-CO pentamers are observed in the C-O stretch fundamental region (~2150 cm-1). The H2O containing spectrum is broadened by predissociation, but that of D2O is sharp, enabling detailed analysis which gives a precise band origin and rotational parameters. Ab initio calculations are employed to confirm the assignment to (water)4-CO and to determine the structure, in which the geometry of the (water)4 fragment is a cyclic ring very similar to the isolated water tetramer. The CO fragment is located "above" the ring plane, with a partial hydrogen bond between the C atom and one of the "free" protons (deuterons) of the water tetramer. Together with previous results on D2O-CO, (D2O)2-CO, and (D2O)3-CO, this represents a probe of the four initial steps in the solvation of carbon monoxide at high resolution.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2020

Symmetry breaking of the bending mode of CO2 in the presence of Ar

The weak infrared spectrum of CO2-Ar corresponding to the (0111) <-- (0110) hot band of CO2 is detected in the region of the carbon dioxide nu3 fundamental vibration (~2340 cm-1), using a tunable OPO laser source to probe a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion. While this method was previously thought to cool clusters to the lowest rotational states of the ground vibrational state, here we show that under suitable jet expansion conditions, sufficient population remains in the first excited bending mode of CO2 (1-2%) to enable observation of vibrationally hot CO2-Ar, and thus to investigate the symmetry breaking of the intramolecular bending mode of CO2 in the presence of Ar. The bending mode of CO2 monomer splits into an in-plane and an out-of-plane mode, strongly linked by a Coriolis interaction. Analysis of the spectrum yields a direct measurement of the in-plane / out-of-plane splitting measured to be 0.8770 cm-1. Calculations were carried to determine if key features of our results, i.e., the sign and magnitude of the shift in the energy for the two intramolecular bending modes, are consistent with a quantum chemical potential energy surface. This aspect of intramolecular interactions has received little previous experimental and theoretical consideration. Therefore, we provide an additional avenue by which to study the intramolecular dynamics of this simplest dimer in its bending modes. Similar results should be possible for other weakly-bound complexes.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2020

Spectra of CO2-N2 dimer in the 4.2 micron region: symmetry breaking of the intramolecular CO2 bend, the intermolecular bend and higher K-values for the fundamental

Infrared spectra of the CO2-N2 dimer are observed in the carbon dioxide nu3 asymmetric stretch region (~2350 cm-1) using a tunable infrared optical parametric oscillator to probe a pulsed slit jet supersonic expansion. Previous results for the b-type fundamental band are extended to higher values of Ka. An a-type combination band involving the lowest in-plane intermolecular bending mode is observed. This yields a value of 21.4 cm-1, and represents the first experimental determination of an intermolecular mode for CO2-N2. This intermolecular frequency is at odds with the value of 45.9 cm-1 obtained from a recent 4D intermolecular potential energy surface. In addition, two weak bands near 2337 cm-1 are assigned to the CO2 hot band transition (v1, v2, l2, v3) = (0111) <-- (0110). They yield a value of 2.307 cm-1 for the splitting of the degenerate CO2 nu2 bend into in-plane and out-of-plane components due to the presence of the nearby N2. The in-plane mode lies at lower energy relative to the out-of-plane mode.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2019

The most stable isomer of H$_2$C$_4$-(OCS)$_2$ van der Waals complex: Theory and experiment agree on a structure with C2 symmetry

We report the infrared spectrum of H$_2$C$_4$-(OCS)$_2$ trimer in the region of the nu1 fundamental vibration of the OCS monomer. The van der Waals complexes are generated in a supersonic slit-jet apparatus and probed using a rapid-scan tunable diode laser. Both H$_2$C$_4$-(OCS)$_2$ and D$_2$C$_4$-(OCS)$_2$ are studied. Analysis of their spectra establishes that the trimer has C$_2$ point group symmetry. Theoretical calculations performed to find stationary points on the potential energy surface confirm that the observed structure is the most stable form. The experimental rotational parameters are in very good agreement with those computed using double hybrid functionals.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2019

Spectra of the D2O dimer in the O-D fundamental stretch region: vibrational dependence of tunneling splittings and lifetimes

The fundamental O-D stretch region (2600 - 2800 cm-1) of the fully deuterated water dimer, (D2O)2, is studied using a pulsed supersonic slit jet source and a tunable optical parametric oscillator source. Relatively high spectral resolution (0.002 cm-1) enables all six dimer tunneling components to be observed, in most cases, for the acceptor asymmetric O-D stretch, the donor free O-D stretch, and the donor bound O-D stretch vibrations. The dominant acceptor switching tunneling splittings are observed to decrease moderately in the excited O-D stretch states, to roughly 75% of their ground state values, whereas the smaller donor-acceptor interchange splittings show more dramatic and irregular decreases. Excited state predissociation lifetimes, as determined from observed line broadening, show large variations (0.2 to 5 nanoseconds) depending on vibrational state, K-value, and tunneling symmetry. Another very weak band is tentatively assigned to a combination mode involving an intramolecular O-D stretch plus an intermolecular twist overtone. Asymmetric O-D stretch bands of the mixed isotopologue dimers D2O-DOH and D2O-HOD are also observed and analyzed.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2019

Infrared bands of CS2 dimer and trimer at 4.5 cm-1

We report observation of new infrared bands of (CS2)2 and (CS2)3 in the region of the CS2 ν1+ ν3 combination band (at 4.5 cm-1) using a quantum cascade laser. The complexes are formed in a pulsed supersonic slit-jet expansion of a gas mixture of carbon disulfide in helium. We have previously shown that the most stable isomer of (CS2)2 is a cross-shaped structure with D2d symmetry and that for (CS2)3 is a barrel-shaped structure with D3 symmetry. The dimer has one doubly degenerate infrared-active band in the ν1+ ν3 region of the CS2 monomer. This band is observed to have a rather small vibrational shift of -0.846 cm-1. We expect one parallel and one perpendicular infrared-active band for the trimer but observe two parallel and one perpendicular bands. Much larger vibrational shifts of -8.953 cm-1 for the perpendicular band and -8.845 cm-1 and +16.681 cm-1 for the parallel bands are observed. Vibrational shifts and possible vibrational assignments, in the case of the parallel bands of the trimer, are discussed using group theoretical arguments.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2018

Infrared spectra of Rg1,2 - C6H6 complexes, Rg = He, Ne, Ar

Infrared spectra of Rg1,2 - C6H6 complexes (Rg = He, Ne, Ar) are observed in the region of the nu12 fundamental of C6H6 using a pulsed supersonic jet expansion and a tunable optical parametric oscillator laser source. The mixed trimer He - Ne - C6H6 is also detected. Four bands are analyzed for each complex, namely nu12 itself (~3048 cm-1) and three linked combination bands (~3079, 3100, and 3102 cm-1). The results are consistent with previous ultraviolet and microwave results, with Ne2 - C6H6 and He - Ne - C6H6 being analyzed spectroscopically here for the first time.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2018

Characterization of OCS-HCCCCH and N2O-HCCCCH dimers: Theory and experiment

The infrared spectra of the weakly-bound dimers OCS-HCCCCH, in the region of the nu1 fundamental band of OCS (2050 cm-1), and N2O-HCCCCH, in the region of the nu1 fundamental band of N2O (2200 cm-1), were observed in a pulsed supersonic slit jet expansion probed with tunable diode/QCL lasers. Both OCS-HCCCCH and N2O-HCCCCH were found to have planar structure with side-by-side monomer units having nearly parallel axes. These bands have hybrid rotational structure which allows for estimates of the orientation of OCS and N2O in the plane of their respective dimers. Analogous bands for OCS-DCCCCD and N2O-DCCCCD were also observed and found to be consistent with the normal isotopologues. Various levels of ab initio calculations were performed to find stationary points on the potential energy surface, optimized structures and interaction energies. Four stable geometries were found for OCS-HCCCCH and three for N2O-HCCCCH. The rotational parameters at CCSD(T*)-F12c level of theory give results in very good agreement with those obtained from the observed spectra. In both dimers, the experimental structure corresponds to the lowest energy isomer.

physics.atm-clus↗