Electronic structure and spectra of SnBi

An electronic transition with origin near 16 445 cm−1 is observed in vapor produced by YAG laser vaporization of an alloy of tin and bismuth and assigned to SnBi diatomic. Vibrational analysis yields vibrational frequencies ω″e=183.06 and ω′e=127.6 cm−1. A preliminary rotational analysis gives r″e∼2.612 Å and r′e∼2.814 Å. The observed transition is interpreted in terms of SnBi electronic structure, and bonding in heavy metal diatomics is discussed.