Search

A Ce atom reaction with propene is carried out in a pulsed laser vaporization molecule beam source. Several Ce–hydrocarbon species formed by the C—H and C—C bond activation of propene are observed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and Ce(C3Hn) (n = 4 and 6) are characterized by mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and density functional theory, multiconfiguration, and relativistic quantum chemical calculations. The MATI spectrum of each species consists of two vibronic band systems, each with several vibronic bands. Ce(C3H6) is identified as an inserted species with Ce inserting into an allylic C—H bond of propene and Ce(C3H4) as a metallocycle through 1,2-vinylic dehydrogenation. Both species have a Cs structure with the Ce 4f16s1 ground valence electron configuration in the neutral molecule and the Ce 4f1 configuration in the singly charged ion. The two vibronic band systems observed for each species are attributed to the ionization of two pairs of the lowest spin–orbit coupled states with each pair being nearly degenerate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ce atom reactions with ethylene, 2-butene, and isobutene are carried out in a pulsed laser vaporization molecule beam source. Ce-containing species are observed with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and Ce(C4H6) is characterized with mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and relativistic quantum chemical calculations. Two structural isomers are identified for Ce(C4H6): one is the tetrahedronlike Ce[C(CH2)3] in C3v symmetry and the other is the five-membered metallocyclic Ce(CH2CHCHCH2) in Cs. The MATI spectrum of the C3v isomer exhibits two vibronic band systems separated by 88 cm−1, while that of the Cs isomer displays three split by 60 and 101 cm−1. The multiple band systems are attributed to spin-orbit splitting and vibronic transitions involving metal-hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon-based vibrations. The splitting in the C3v isomer arises from interactions of two triplet and two singlet states at the lowest energies, while each splitting in the Cs isomer involves two triplets and a singlet. Although the Ce atom has ground electron configuration 4f15d16s2, Ce valence electron configurations in both isomers are 4f16s1 in the neutral ground state and 4f1 in the ion. The remaining Ce 5d electrons in the isolated atom are spin paired in molecular orbitals that are a bonding combination between Ce 5dπ and hydrocarbon π* orbitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]