Solvation of the 2,5-lutidyl radical in small van der Waals clusters

The one-to-one clusters of the 2,5-lutidyl radical [2-CH3,5-(CH2)C5H3N] wit h Ar, N-2, CH4, CF4, C2H6, C3H8, C4H10, and C2H4 are studied by fluorescenc e excitation spectroscopy, mass resolved excitation spectroscopy, and ab in itio and semiempirical calculational techniques. Cluster binding energies f or the ground (D-0) and excited (D-1) states, cluster spectroscopic shifts, and van der Waals cluster vibrational modes are reported for these systems . The agreement between the observed and calculated cluster properties is q uite good. Unlike the benzyl radical, the 2,5-lutidyl radical does not reac t with ethylene in its D-1 excited electronic state.