Observation of the rotational spectra of CuI and AgI molecules generated by laser ablation in a pulsed-jet, Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer

The diatomic species CuI and AgI were produced by the reaction of metal atoms, formed in situ by ablation of an appropriate metal rod, with methyl iodide entrained in argon. The rotational spectra of the MI species so produced were then observed with the aid of a pulsed-jet, Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. The ground-state rotational constant B-0, centrifugal distortion constant Do, iodine nuclear quadrupole coupling constant chi(I) and iodine spin-rotation coupling constant M-bb(I) were determined with high precision for each of the isotoporners Ag-107 I-127, (AgI)-Ag-109-I-127, (CuI)-Cu-63-I-127 and (CuI)-Cu-65-I-127 by analysis of its rotational spectrum. In the case of the two CuI isotopomers, the nuclear hyperfine coupling constants chi(Cu-63), chi(Cu-65), M-bb(Cu-63) and M-bb(Cu-65) were also established. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.