Excited states and gas phase photofragmentation of palladium and platinum hexafluoroacetylacetonates

The properties of excited electronic states of acetylacetonate complexes of palladium and platinum, and the photochemical reactivities of the fluorina ted derivatives in the gas phase are reviewed. These complexes are precurso rs for the thermal and photochemical production of metal films via metal or ganic chemical vapor deposition. This review is organized in three sections . First, the electronic structure is surveyed, the results of molecular orb ital calculations are discussed, and the theoretical results are compared w ith the electronic spectra. Second, gas phase spectroscopy is discussed. Bo th electronic absorption spectra of hot gases and excitation spectra in a m olecular beam have been used to assign the lowest excited states. Finally, the gas phase photochemistry is discussed. Solid photoproducts including pa rticles and films are briefly reviewed, and photoproducts in the gas (ident ified by emission and time of flight mass spectroscopy) are discussed. The relevance of the gas phase photochemistry to laser assisted chemical vapor deposition is emphasized. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserve d.