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The chemistry of the group 11 metal cyanide system has been of considerable interest because of the commercial importance of some of the complexes formed in this system. These metal cyanides contain one-dimensional linear -M-CN-M-CN-M- chains in the solid state; however, they have not been observed as free monomeric species. This Article reports the first detection of monomeric AgCN and AuCN in the gas phase by using rotational spectroscopy. The sputtering reaction of silver and/or gold sheets placed on a stainless steel cathode with CH3CN diluted in Ar resulted in the production of AgCN and AuCN spectra. Spectroscopic observation of the parent and several rare isotopic species allowed the determination of r(0), r(s), r(Iepsilon), r(m)(1), and r(m)(2) structures in the case of AgCN and r(0) and r(s) structures in the case of AuCN. All data indicate that these two species have a linear MCN geometry with a low-energy bending vibration.

The microwave spectra of P14N16O and its isotopomers P15N16O and P14N18O were observed in a dc glow discharge plasma of a mixture of nitric oxide and hydrogen gases over solid red phosphorus placed on the stainless steel electrode. Rotational transitions of the parent P14N16O species were measured in the ground state as well as in the vibrationally excited ν1 (PN str.), ν2 (bend), and 2ν2 states. The l=0 substate of the 2ν2 state interacts with the ν1 state through a Fermi resonance. The rotational constants determined for the ground states of the three isotopomers yield the substitution structure, rs(PN)=151.6516(87) pm and rs(NO)=119.5025(80) pm.

The microwave spectrum of the NBr radical in the X 3Σ− ground electronic state has been observed by a source modulated spectrometer. The NBr radical was generated in a free space cell by a dc glow discharge in a mixture of N2, Br2, and He. The spectrum with three spin components of both two isotopomers, N79Br and N81Br, was observed. The spectrum showed complicated splitting by the hyperfine interactions due to both bromine and nitrogen nuclei. The molecular constants including the magnetic hyperfine and nuclear quadrupolar hyperfine interaction constants were determined by analyzing the observed spectrum. The spin density of the unpaired electrons was estimated from the observed hyperfine coupling constants to be 73.4% and 22.4% on the nitrogen and the bromine atoms, respectively.

The microwave spectrum of the PBr radical in the X (3)Sigma(-) ground electronic state has been observed by a source modulated spectrometer. The PBr radical was generated in a free space cell by an acdc glow discharge in a mixture of PBr(3) with He andor H(2). A spectrum with three spin components for each of the two isotopomers, P(79)Br and P(81)Br, was observed. The spectrum showed hyperfine splitting caused by interactions due to both bromine and phosphorus nuclei. The molecular constants including the magnetic hyperfine and nuclear quadrupole hyperfine interaction constants were determined by analyzing the observed spectrum. The spin density of the unpaired electrons was estimated from the observed hyperfine coupling constants to be 85.4% and 16.3% on the phosphorus and bromine atoms, respectively.