THE PHOTODISSOCIATION OF V+CENTER-DOT-CH4

The isolated VCH4+ ion has been interrogated via resonant one-photon p hotodissociation spectroscopy. An electronic transition corresponding to a 3d(3)4s <-- 3d(4) excitation of the metal center characteristic o f electrostatic complexes of V+ is observed, The vibronic structure of the spectrum yields the stretching frequency of the excited state of the complex, 90.0 cm(-1), with a diagonal anharmonicity of 0.70 cm(-1) as well as a rocking frequency of 44.8 cm(-1). The electrostatic bind ing energy of the excited metal ion (3d(3)4s) to methane is determined to be 2900 +/- 300 cm(-1), whereas the ground state metal ion (3d(4)) is bound by 5250 +/- 300 cm(-1).