Zero-electron-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectroscopy of transition-metal—ether complexes: Y-O(CH[sub 3])[sub 2], Y-O(CD[sub 3])[sub 2], Y-[O(CH[sub 3])[sub 2]][sub 2], and Y-[O(CD[sub 3])[sub 2]][sub 2].

The yttrium complexes with one and two dimethyl ethers and their deuterated derivatives are prepared with laser vaporization molecular beam techniques, identified with photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and investigated with pulsed-field-ionization zero-electronkinetic-energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Adiabatic ionization potentials and yttrium-oxygen stretch and ether-based vibrations are measured for the 1:1 and 1:2 complexes. Fermi interactions are observed from the ZEKE spectra of the 1:1 species. The ground electronic states of the monoligand complexes are determined to be [SUP2]A[SUB2] for the neutral and [SUP1]A[SUB1] for the singly charged positive ion, both in C[SUB2v] symmetry, with yttrium binding to oxygen. The coordination of a second ether forms a diligand complex with a linear oxygen-yttrium-oxygen configuration. This is the first electronic-vibrational spectroscopic study of yttrium-polyatomic molecule complexes and weakly bound metal complexes with two or more polyatomic molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]