Detection and characterization of singly deuterated silylene, SiHD, via optical spectroscopy

Singly deuterated silylene has been detected and characterized in the gas-phase using high-resolution, two-dimensional, optical spectroscopy. Rotationally resolved lines in the 0(0)(0)(X) over tilde (1)A' -> (A) over tilde (1)A '' band are assigned to both c-type perpendicular transition and additional parallel, axis-switching induced bands. The extracted rotational constants were combined with those for SiH2 and SiD2 to determine an improved equilibrium bond length, r(SiH), and bond angle, theta, of 1.5137 +/- 0.0003 angstrom and 92.04 degrees +/- 0.05 degrees, and 1.4853 +/- 0.0005 angstrom and 122.48 degrees +/- 0.08 degrees for the (X) over tilde (1)A' (0,0,0) and (A) over tilde (1)A ''(0,0,0) state respectively. The dispersed fluorescence consists of a long progression in the (A) over tilde (1)A ''(0,0,0) -> (X) over tilde (1)A'(0, nu(2), 0) emission which was analyzed to produce vibrational parameters. A strong quantum level dependence of the rotationally resolved radiative decay curves is analyzed. Published by AIP Publishing.