Ionization photophysics and Rydberg spectroscopy of diacetylene

Photoionization of diacetylene was studied using synchrotron radiation over the range 8-24 eV, with photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) and threshold photoelectron-photoion coincidence (TPEPICO) techniques. Mass spectra, ion yields, total and partial ionization cross-sections were measured. The adiabatic ionization energy of diacetylene was determined as IE ad=(10.17±0.01) eV, and the appearance energy of the principal fragment ion C4H+ as AE=(16.15±0.03) eV. Calculated appearance energies of other fragment ions were used to infer aspects of dissociation pathways forming the weaker fragment ions C+ 4, C3H+, C+3 and C 4H+. Structured autoionization features observed in the PEPICO spectrum of diacetylene in the 11-13 eV region were assigned to vibrational components of three new Rydberg series, R1(nsσg, n=4-11), R2(ndσg, n=4-7) and R3(ndδg, n=4-6) converging to the A2Πu state of the cation, and to a new series R01(nsσg, n=3) converging to the B' 2Σ+u state of the cation. The autoionization mechanisms and their consistence with specific selection rules are discussed. © 2012 Taylor and Francis.