Observation of the rotational spectra of CuI and AgI molecules generated by laser ablation in a pulsed-jet, Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer

The diatomic species CuI and AgI were produced by the reaction of metal atoms, formed in situ by ablation of an appropriate metal rod, with methyl iodide entrained in argon. The rotational spectra of the MI species so produced were then observed with the aid of a pulsed-jet, Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. The ground-state rotational constant B0, centrifugal distortion constant D0, iodine nuclear quadrupole coupling constant χ(I) and iodine spin-rotation coupling constant Mbb(I) were determined with high precision for each of the isotopomers 107Ag127I, 109Ag127I, 63Cu127I and 65Cu127I by analysis of its rotational spectrum. In the case of the two CuI isotopomers, the nuclear hyperfine coupling constants χ(63Cu), χ(65Cu), Mbb(63Cu) and Mbb(65Cu) were also established.