Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy of the ClCO radical

Abstract

Scientists are interested in the CO₂ cycle in the atmosphere of Venus. In order to study the cycle involving the reaction with chlorine, it is necessary to investigate the reaction intermediate, the ClCO radical, which can be used to prove the hypothesis of the CO₂ cycle on Venus. In the present work, we observed the pure rotational transitions of the ClCO radical by FTMW spectroscopy. Due to the large rotational constant A, only K_a = 0 a-type transitions were observed. Based on the experimental results of the ClCO radical, it was found that the unpaired electron is mainly located in the in-plane p_x orbital of the central carbon atom. The distribution of the unpaired electron on the chlorine nucleus does not extend toward the direction of the Cl–C bond, which is different from the case of the FCO radical.