Vibrationally high-resolved electronic spectra of MCl2 (M = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and photoelectron spectra of MCl2−

•Spectra of group IV dichlorides and their anions were systematically investigated.•Herzberg–Teller effect and anharmonic correction were taken into account.•The simulated vibrational modes were confirmed and tentatively assigned.•Resolved vibrational electronic spectrum of PbCl2 was reported for the first time.

We systematically studied the vibrational-resolved electronic spectra of group IV dichlorides using the Franck–Condon approximation combined with the Duschinsky and Herzberg–Teller effects in harmonic and anharmonic frameworks (only the simulation of absorption spectra includes the anharmonicity). Calculated results showed that the band shapes of simulated spectra are in accordance with those of the corresponding experimental or theoretical ones. We found that the symmetric bend mode in progression of absorption is the most active one, whereas the main contributor in photoelectron spectra is the symmetric stretching mode. Moreover, the Duschinsky and anharmonic effects exert weak influence on the absorption spectra, except for PbCl2 molecule. The theoretical insights presented in this work are significant in understanding the photophysical properties of MCl2 (M = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) and studying the Herzberg–Teller and the anharmonic effects on the absorption spectra of new dichlorides of this main group.

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