On the photofragmentation of SF$_2^+$: Experimental evidence for a predissociation channel

TL;DR

This study provides the first experimental evidence of a predissociation channel in SF₂⁺ through resonance-enhanced multilphoton ionization spectroscopy, supported by ab initio calculations of its excited states.

Contribution

It is the first to experimentally observe the photofragmentation dynamics and predissociation channel of SF₂⁺, complementing previous theoretical and spectroscopic studies.

Findings

Identification of a predissociation channel in SF₂⁺

Experimental validation of theoretical excited state predictions

Observation of photofragmentation dynamics

Abstract

We report on the first observation of the photofragmentation dynamics of SF$_2^+$. With the aid of state-of-the-art ab initio calculations on the low-lying excited cationic states of SF$_2^+$ performed by Lee et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 104304 (2006)], a predissociation channel of SF$_2^+$ is evidenced by means of resonance-enhanced multilphoton ionization spectroscopy. This work represents a second experimental investigation on the low-lying excited cationic states of SF$_2^+$. [The first one is the He I photoelectron spectrum of SF$_2^+$ reported by de Leeuw et al. three decades ago, see Chem. Phys. 34, 287 (1978).]