Photodissociation spectroscopy and dynamics of MgC2H4

The weakly bound ion–molecule complex MgC2H4+ has been studied by photodissociation spectroscopy in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer over the spectral range 218–510 nm. Mg+ is the major photofragment throughout this range, although for λ<270 nm, charge-transfer dissociation to C2H4+ is observed as a minor channel. We have identified five absorption bands of MgC2H4+. The spectral assignment is facilitated by results from ab initio calculations for the ground and low-lying excited states of MgC2H4+. Three of the bands, 1 2B2←1 2A1, 1 2B1←1 2A1, and 2 2A1←1 2A1, are based primarily in the metal-centered Mg+(3p 2P←3s 2S) atomic transition. One of the remaining bands is assigned as 2 2B2←1 2A1, a transition correlating with the a 3B1u←X 1Ag forbidden band of C2H4, with mixed charge-transfer character. The final band, 3 2A1←1 2A1, is assigned to a metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transition, enhanced by coupling with the nearby 2 2A1 state. The 1 2B2←1 2A1 band is a broad continuum, indicative of fa...