Spectroscopic evidence of jet-cooled o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical in corona excitation.

We report the first spectroscopic evidence of the o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical. The electronically hot but jet-cooled o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical was formed from precursor o-chloro-ethylbenzene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium, by employing the technique of corona excited supersonic expansion with a pinhole-type glass nozzle. The vibronic emission spectrum was recorded with a long path monochromator in the D(1) --> D(0) electronic transition in the visible region. By comparing the observed spectrum with that of the o-chlorobenzyl radical reported previously, we could easily identify the spectroscopic evidence of the jet-cooled o-chloro-alpha-methylbenzyl radical generated in the corona discharge of o-chloro-ethylbenzene, from which the electronic transition energy and several vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state were accurately determined.