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Title: Probing the electronic structure and Au—C chemical bonding in AuC{sub n}{sup −} and AuC{sub n}H{sup −} (n = 2, 4, and 6) using high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4960440· OSTI ID:22678982
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912 (United States)
  2. POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Joxe Mari Korta Center, Avda. Tolosa 72, 20018 Donostia – San Sebastián (Spain)
  3. Kimika Fakultatea, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), and Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), P.K. 1072, 20080 Donostia, Euskadi (Spain)

We report a joint photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical study on AuC{sub 4}{sup −}, AuC{sub 6}{sup −}, and AuC{sub n}H{sup −} (n = 2, 4, and 6) using high-resolution photoelectron imaging and ab initio calculations. The ground state of AuC{sub 2}H{sup −}, AuC{sub 4}H{sup −}, and AuC{sub 6}H{sup −} is found to be linear, while that of AuC{sub 4}{sup −} and AuC{sub 6}{sup −} is bent. All the species are found to be linear in their neutral ground states. The electron affinities (EAs) are measured to be 3.366(1) and 3.593(1) eV for AuC{sub 4} and AuC{sub 6}, respectively. Both bending and stretching frequencies are resolved in the spectra of AuC{sub 4}{sup −} and AuC{sub 6}{sup −}. High-resolution data of AuC{sub n}H{sup −} reveal major vibrational progressions in the Au—C stretching and bending modes. AuC{sub 2}H{sup −} has a ground state stretching frequency of 445(10) cm{sup −1} and a bending frequency of 260(10) cm{sup −1}; AuC{sub 4}H{sup −} has a ground state stretching frequency of 340(10) cm{sup −1}; AuC{sub 6}H{sup −} has a ground state stretching frequency of 260(10) cm{sup −1} and a bending frequency of 55(10) cm{sup −1}. The EAs are measured to be 1.475(1), 1.778(1), and 1.962(1) eV for AuC{sub 2}H, AuC{sub 4}H, and AuC{sub 6}H, respectively. The strength of the Au—C bond decreases as the number of carbon atoms increases. The current study provides a wealth of electronic structure information about AuC{sub 4}{sup −}, AuC{sub 6}{sup −}, and AuC{sub n}H{sup −} (n = 2, 4, and 6) and their corresponding neutrals.

OSTI ID:
22678982
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 145, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English