Photodissociation of Mg+-XCH3 (X=F, Cl, Br, and I) complexes. I. Electronic spectra and dissociation pathways.

Photodissociation spectra of Mg+-XCH3 (X=F, Cl, Br, and I) complexes have been measured in the ultraviolet region (225-415 nm). Several fragment ions with and without charge transfer (CT), Mg+, XCH3+, MgX+, MgCH3+, CH3+, and X+, were formed by evaporation (intermolecular bond dissociation) and intracluster reaction (intramolecular bond dissociation) via excited electronic states. Branching ratios of these ions were found to depend both on absorption bands and on halogen atoms. The ground states of the complexes were calculated to have geometries in which the Mg atom lies next to X atom of methyl halide molecules. Positive charges of the complexes are confirmed to be almost localized on Mg. Observed absorption bands were assigned to the transitions of the Mg+2P-2S atomic line perturbed by interactions with methyl halide molecules. Branching ratios of fragment ions can be partly explained by the stability of fragment ions and neutral counterparts. From the excited state potential energy curves along the Mg-X bond distance, dissociation reaction after CT was concluded to proceed predissociatively; potential curve crossings between the initially excited states and repulsive CT states may have a crucial role in the formation of CH3+, XCH3+, and X+. In particular, XCH3+ ions were formed via repulsive CT states having a character of electron excitation from Xnp to Mg+3s.