High resolution photoelectron spectroscopy and femtosecond intramolecular dynamics of H₂CCO⁺ and D₂CCO⁺ Available to Purchase

High resolution helium Iα (584 Å) photoelectron spectra of H₂CCO and D₂CCO are reported. The present spectra of the ground states of ketene cations show more vibrational fine structure than previously reported. The adiabatic ionization energies (AIEs) of the cations’ first, second, and fifth excited states are determined unambiguously. The doubletlike fine structures present in the first excited states of ketene cations imply the excitation of a ‘‘soft’’ mode that was not observed before. It was assigned to the ν₅ mode, which is characterized by the CH₂ (CD₂) group out‐of‐plane wagging motion. The complexity of the photoelectron spectra obtained for the ionic first excited states is attributed to the possible dissociation and predissociation of this state. Strong isotope effects are observed in the vibronic (vibrational) couplings in most of the ionic states. Vibrational autocorrelation functions are calculated from the high‐resolution photoelectron spectra for four of the six ionic states observed. The dynamics of the ground states of the cations are characterized by a wave packet oscillating with small amplitude around the minimum of the upper potential energy surfaces (PES). The decay dynamics of the ionic first and fifth excited states of ketene are characterized by ultrafast intramolecular processes such as dissociation and predissociation.