15min:

LLOYD MUZANGWA, SILVER NYAMBO, BRANDON UHLER AND SCOTT A. REID, Department of Chemistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233.

We have recently implemented Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization (REMPI) spectroscopy in our laboratory as a spectroscopic probe of transient species. We will report on initial gas-phase studies of the spectra of weakly bound van der Waals and halogen bonded complexes involving aromatic organic donors. The complexes are formed in the rarified environment of a supersonic molecular beam, which is skimmed prior to passing into the differentially pumped flight tube of a linear time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Ionization is initiated both by 1+1 and 1+1' REMPI schemes; the latter is used to minimize fragmentation. Our initial studies have examined van der Waals and halogen bonded complexes involving the phenol and toluene chromophores. Progress in the coupling of a discharge source into this apparatus will also be discussed.