A new excited electronic state of SF2 radical observed by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization

The resonance-enhanced multilphoton ionization (REMPI) spectrum of SF2 radical has been recorded between 235 and 270 nm. A pulsed dc discharge technique was applied to generate neutral SF2 radicals. Analyses of the laser intensity index and vibrational progression indicate that the spectrum arises from one-photon resonance between the ground-state (X) over tilde (1)A(1) and a previously unobserved (B) over tilde' state. The band origin and vibrational frequency omega(1)"(a(1), sym., str.) were determined as 38 623 and 926 +/- 4 cm(-1), respectively. The (B) over tilde' state seems to be a valence state with relatively strong predissociation for upsilon' greater than or equal to 3 levels. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.