Photodetachment-photoelectron spectroscopy of jet-cooled chrysene

Jet-cooled chrysene anions have been produced by attachment of slow laser-induced photoelectrons. The molecules have been studied by photodetachment-photoelectron spectroscopy using various wavelengths of the detachment laser. The adiabatic electron affinity of chrysene was directly determined to be 0.32 ± 0.01 eV. In the S₀ state of neutral chrysene two different vibrational modes are visible. Both are assigned to breathing modes of the aromatic ring system. In addition, the first excited triplet state is observed and a singlet triplet energy gap of 2.64 ± 0.01 eV has been determined. In this state it was also possible to resolve a vibrational mode. At 355 nm an anion resonance was found that ended up in vibrationally highly excited neutral chrysene. As an explanation a special relaxation pathway is suggested.