Photoelectron spectroscopy and electronic structure of clusters of the group V elements. II. Tetramers: Strong Jahn–Teller coupling in the tetrahedral 2E ground states of P+4, As+4, and Sb+4

High resolution HeI (584 Å) photoelectron spectra have been obtained for the tetrameric clusters of the group V elements: P4, As4, and Sb4. The spectra establish that the ground 2E states of tetrahedral P+4, As+4, and Sb+4 are unstable with respect to distortion in the ν2(e) vibrational coordinate. The E⊗e Jahn–Teller problem has been treated in detail, yielding simulated spectra to compare with experimental ones. Vibronic calculations, extended to second order (quadratic coupling) for P+4, account for vibrational structure which is partially resolved in its photoelectron spectrum. A Jahn–Teller stabilization energy of 0.65 eV is derived for P+4, which can be characterized in its ground vibronic state as being highly distorted, and highly fluxional. Linear-only Jahn–Teller coupling calculations performed for As+4 and Sb+4, show good qualitative agreement with experimental spectra, yielding stabilization energies of 0.84 and 1.4 eV, respectively.