Conformational dependence of intramolecular vibrational redistribution in methanol

Previous state-selected spectra of methanol in the 5 nu(1) OH stretch overtone region [O. V. Boyarkin, T. R. Rizzo, and D. S. Perry, J. Chem. Phys. 110, 11346 (1999)] revealed a structure indicating an intramolecular vibrational redistribution on three time scales. Whereas in that work, methanol in the 5 nu(1) bright state was prepared close to the staggered conformation, methanol in the partially eclipsed conformation is prepared here by double resonance excitation through a torsionally excited intermediate state. The excited molecules are detected by infrared laser assisted photofragment spectroscopy. In partially eclipsed methanol, the strong coupling of the nu(1) OH stretch to the nu(2) CH stretch becomes weaker, but the coupling responsible for the widths of the narrowest features becomes stronger. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.