SPECTROSCOPIC DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF IODOGERMYLENE (HGEL)

Monoiodogermylene has been detected for the first time using pulsed di scharge and laser-induced fluorescence techniques. HGeI and DGeI were produced by an electric discharge through argon seeded with H3GeI or D 3GeI. Although the vibronic structure in the spectra was very limited, all three excited state vibrational frequencies have been obtained fo r both isotopomers. Analysis of the partially resolved rotational stru cture of the 0(0)(0) bands gave the following approximate r(0) structu res, with the bond angles constrained to previous ab initio values: r( 0)(n)(Ge-I) = 2.525(10) Angstrom, r(0)(n)(H-Ge) = 1.593(15) Angstrom, theta(0)''(HGeI) = 93.5 degrees, r(0)'(Ge-I) = 2.515(10) Angstrom, r(0 )'(H-Ge) = 1.618(15) Angstrom, and theta(0)'(HGeI) = 116.2 degrees. Th e fluorescence lifetime of monoiodogermylene in the lowest rovibronic levels is 1.515 +/- 0.004 mu s and shows significant variations on deu teration and with rotational and vibrational level. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(98)00445-0].