High-Resolution Spectroscopy and Structure of Heavy Carbon Subchalcogenides: Tricarbon Selenide, C3Se

Linear tricarbon selenide, C3Se, has been studied spectroscopically for the first time using a combination of high-resolution infrared and microwave techniques. Probing laser ablation products from carbon–selenium targets in a free jet expansion with He, initial spectroscopic detection was accomplished in the infrared at a wavelength of 5 μm in search of the ν1 vibrational fundamental. Along with the band of the most abundant isotopic species C3 80Se found centered at about 2039 cm–1, the corresponding bands of the C3 82Se, C3 78Se, C3 76Se, and C3 77Se isotopologues were also detected. Pure rotational spectra of the five C3Se isotopologues in the 8–18 GHz frequency range were observed in a supersonic jet expansion using chirped-pulse microwave spectroscopy of the discharge products of selenophene, c-C4H4Se. Spectroscopic analyses were guided by results from high-level quantum-chemical calculations carried out at the coupled-cluster level of theory using large correlation-consistent basis sets. Using the experimentally derived ground-state rotational constants of five isotopologues and calculated zero-point vibrational corrections, an accurate semiexperimental equilibrium carbon–selenium bond length is derived.