Probing the Dipole-Bound State in the 9-Phenanthrolate Anion by Photodetachment Spectroscopy, Resonant Two-Photon Photoelectron Imaging, and Resonant Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Valence-bound anions with a dipolar core can support dipole-bound states (DBSs) below the electron detachment threshold. The highly diffuse DBS observed is usually of σ symmetry with an s-like orbital. Recently, a π-type DBS was observed experimentally in the 9-anthrolate anion (9AT - ) and it was shown to be stabilized due to the large anisotropic polarizability of the 9AT core. To confirm the general existence of π-DBS and its structural dependence, here we report an investigation of the 9-phenanthrolate anion (9PT - ), which has a different structure and lower symmetry than 9AT - . Photodetachment spectroscopy revealed a DBS 257 cm -1 below the detachment threshold of 9PT - at 19 627 cm -1 (2.4334 eV). Resonant two-photon photoelectron imaging indeed showed a π symmetry for the DBS. Similar to that observed in 9AT - , the π-DBS in 9PT - is also stabilized by the anisotropic polarizability of the 9PT core and accessed via nonadiabatic population transfer from the initially populated σ-DBS. Photodetachment spectroscopy unveiled nine above-threshold vibrational resonances of the DBS, resulting in nine highly non-Franck-Condon resonant photoelectron spectra by tuning the detachment laser to the vibrational resonances. The combination of photodetachment spectroscopy and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy allowed frequencies for nine vibrational modes of the 9-phenathroxy radical to be measured, including the six lowest frequency bending modes.