Experimental and ab initio characterization of HC3N(+) vibronic structure. II. High-resolution VUV PFI-ZEKE spectroscopy.

Vacuum-ultraviolet pulsed-field-ionization zero-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectra of X(+)Π2←XΣ+1 and B(+)Π2←XΣ+1 transitions of the HC3(14)N and HC3(15)N isotopologues of cyanoacetylene have been recorded. The resolution of the photoelectron spectra allowed us to resolve the vibrational structures and the spin-orbit splittings in the cation. Accurate values of the adiabatic ionization potentials of the two isotopologues (EI/hc(HC3(14)N)=93 909(2) cm(-1) and EI/hc(HC3(15)N)=93 912(2) cm(-1)), the vibrational frequencies of the ν2, ν6, and ν7 vibrational modes, and the spin-orbit coupling constant (ASO = -44(2) cm(-1)) of the X(+)Π2 cationic ground state have been derived from the measurements. Using ab initio calculations, the unexpected structure of the B(+)Π2←XΣ+1 transition is tentatively attributed to a conical intersection between the A(+) and B(+) electronic states of the cation.