15min:
INFRARED PHOTODISSOCIATION SPECTROSCOPY OF SINGLY CHARGED TRANSITION METAL NITROGEN CLUSTERS.

E. D. PILLAI, T. D. JAEGER AND M. A. DUNCAN, University of Georgia, Department of Chemistry, Athens, GA, 30602-2556.

Metal cation-nitrogen clusters, M+(N2)n, of the first row transition metals are produced in a laser vaporization pulsed nozzle cluster source, size selected and excited in the infrared with an infrared OPO/OPA. Infrared photodissociation occurs by elimination of whole N2 molecules and the photofragement yield versus wavelength produces IR resonance-enhanced photodissociation (REPD) spectra for the clusters. Vibrational bands seen in the 2100 to 2400 cm-1 region correspond to the N-N stretch but are shifted from those of free N2. Density functional theory calculations on the bond enegeries, geometries and frequency shifts for first row M+ (N2) are also discussed in regard to periodic trends.