Atef Jabri

Methyl internal rotation in the microwave spectrum of vinyl acetate.

The rotational spectrum of vinyl acetate, CH3(CO)OCH═CH2, was measured using two molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectrometers operating in the frequency range from 2 to 40 GHz. Large splittings up to 2 GHz occurred due to the internal rotation of the acetyl methyl group CH3CO with a V3 potential of 151.492(34) cm(-1), much larger than the barrier of approximately 100 cm(-1) often found in acetates. The torsional transitions were fitted using three different programs XIAM, ERHAM, and BELGI-Cs, whereby the rotational constants, centrifugal distortion constants, and the internal rotation parameters could be determined with very high accuracy. The experimental results were supported by quantum chemical calculations. For a conformational analysis, potential energy surfaces were calculated.

Probing the Methyl Torsional Barriers of the E and Z Isomers of Butadienyl Acetate by Microwave Spectroscopy.

The Fourier transform microwave spectra of the E and Z isomers of butadienyl acetate were measured in the frequency range from 2 to 26.5 GHz under molecular-jet conditions. The most stable conformer of each isomer, in which all heavy atoms are located in a symmetry plane, was identified after analyzing the spectrum by comparison with the results from quantum-chemical calculations. The barriers to internal rotation of the acetyl methyl group were found to be 149.1822(20) and 150.2128(48) cm(-1) for the E and Z isomers, respectively, which are similar to that of vinyl acetate. A comparison between two theoretical approaches treating internal rotation, the rho axis method and combined axis method, was also performed. The influence of the alkyl R chain on the methyl torsional barriers in CH3 -COOR acetates was explored.

Full Conformational Landscape of 3-Methoxyphenol Revealed by Room Temperature mm-wave Rotational Spectroscopy Supported by Quantum Chemical Calculations

Room temperature millimeter-wave rotational spectroscopy supported by high level of theory calculations have been employed to fully characterise the conformational landscape of 3-Methoxyphenol, a semi-volatile polar oxygenated aromatic compound precursor of secondary organic aerosols in the atmosphere arising from biomass combustion. While previous rotationally-resolved spectroscopic studies in the microwave and in the UV domains failed to observe the complete conformational landscape, the 70-330 GHz rotational spectrum measured in this study reveals the ground state rotational signatures of the four stable conformations theoretically predicted. Moreover, rotational transitions in the lowest energy vibrationally excited states were assigned for two conformers. While the inertial defect of methoxyphenol does not significantly change between conformers and isomers, the excitation of the methoxy out-of-plane bending is the main contribution to the non-planarity of the molecule.

Laboratory microwave, millimeter wave and far-infrared spectra of dimethyl sulfide

Context. Dimethyl sulfide, CH 3 SCH 3 (DMS), is a nonrigid, sulfur-containing molecule whose astronomical detection is considered to be possible in the interstellar medium. Very accurate spectroscopic constants were obtained by a laboratory analysis of rotational microwave and millimeter wave spectra, as well as rotation-torsional far-infrared (FIR) spectra, which can be used to predict transition frequencies for a detection in interstellar sources. Aims. This work aims at the experimental study and theoretical analysis of the ground torsional state and ground torsional band ν 15 of DMS in a large spectral range for astrophysical use. Methods. The microwave spectrum was measured in the frequency range 2−40 GHz using two Molecular Beam Fourier Transform MicroWave (MB-FTMW) spectrometers in Aachen, Germany. The millimeter spectrum was recorded in the 50−110 GHz range. The FIR spectrum was measured for the first time at high resolution using the FT spectrometer and the newly built cryogenic cell at the French synchrotron SOLEIL. Results. DMS has two equivalent methyl internal rotors with a barrier height of about 730 cm -1 . We performed a fit, using the XIAM and BELGI-C s -2Tops codes, that contained the new measurements and previous transitions reported in the literature for the ground torsional state ν t = 0 (including the four torsional species AA, AE, EA and EE) and for the ground torsional band ν 15 = 1 ← 0 (including only the AA species). In the microwave region, we analyzed 584 transitions with J ≤ 30 of the ground torsional state ν t = 0 and 18 transitions with J ≤ 5 of the first excited torsional state ν t = 1. In the FIR range, 578 transitions belonging to the torsional band ν 15 = 1 ← 0 with J ≤ 27 were assigned. Totally, 1180 transitions were included in a global fit with 21 accurately determined parameters. These parameters can be used to produce a reliable line-list for an astrophysical detection of DMS.

submillimeter wave spectroscopy of acetyl isocyanate : CH3C(O)NCO

L. MARGULÈS, R. A. MOTIYENKO, Laboratoire PhLAM, UMR 8523 CNRS Université Lille 1, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France; J.-C. GUILLEMIN, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, UMR 6226 CNRS Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France; BELÉN TERCERO, JOSE CERNICHARO, Departamento de Astrofı́sica, Centro de Astrobiologı́a CAB, CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain; ATEF JABRI, ISABELLE KLEINER, Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), CNRS et Universités Paris Est et Paris Diderot, Créteil, France; V. ILYUSHIN, Radiospectrometry Department, Institute of Radio Astronomy of NASU, Kharkov, Ukraine.