FINE-STRUCTURE TRANSITIONS OF BIOH IN THE NEAR-INFRARED REGION

Near-infrared emission bands were observed near 6200 and 5700 cm(-1) w hen water vapor (H2O, D2O) was added to the reaction of bismuth vapor (Bi-x) with microwave-discharged oxygen in a fast-flow system. With th e help of ab initio calculations of Yang Khandogin et al. (to be publi shed in J. Mel. Spectrosc.) the bands were identified to be fine struc ture transitions (X) over tilde(2)A '' --> (X) over tilde(1)A' and (X) over tilde(3)A' --> (X) over tilde(1)A' between the components of the strongly split (3)A '' ground state of the as yet unknown bismuth hyd roxide radical BiOH (BiOD). (C) 1997 Academic Press.