Stimulated Raman and electronic excitation of CH4-OH reactant complexes

Binary complexes composed of OH and CH4 reactants have been stabilized in a shallow well in the entrance channel to the hydrogen abstraction reaction. The CH4-OH reactant complexes are identified by laser-induced fluorescence in the OH A (2)Sigma(+)-X(2)Pi (1,0) and (0,0) spectral regions as well as by stimulated Raman excitation in the vicinity of the symmetric stretching mode (nu(1)) of CH4. The binding energy of CH4-OH is found to be 210 +/- 2 0 cm(-1) in its ground electronic state and increases slightly upon vibrati onal excitation of the nu(1) mode of methane. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V . All rights reserved.