			15min:

ELECTRONIC SPECTROSCOPY OF WC FROM 17,500 to 24,000 cm^-1.

A. W. SMITH, S. M. SICKAFOOSE AND M. D. MORSE, Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112.

\noindent Resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy has been used to study the diatomic molecule WC. A low resolution scan revealed a five member vibrational progression beginning at 17 585 cm^-1 with the ₀₀ transition. Analysis of this progression yielded a vibrational frequency of omega _e'(¹⁸⁴W¹²C) = 752.6(4.9) cm^-1 and a bond length of r_e'(¹⁸⁴W¹²C) = 1.747(4) Å. In addition, several unassigned bands were rotationally resolved. Interestingly, all of the observed excited states have Omega ' = 2. All of the rotationally resolved transitions were fit simultaneously to produce the best possible fit of the ground state. Assignment of these bands confirmed a ground state of ³ Delta ₁ from a 14 sigma ²8 ⁴15 sigma ²4 delta ¹16 sigma ¹ configuration and determined the ground state as r₀''(¹⁸⁴W¹²C) = 1.7143(2) Å. Dispersed fluorescence studies to elucidate the ground and low-lying excited states will also be reported. These results on WC are compared to the results of studies on MoC and other transition metal carbides.