Zero-electron-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectroscopy of transition-metal—ether complexes: Y-O(CH3)2, Y-O(CD3)2, Y-[O(CH3)2]2, and Y-[O(CD3)2]2

The yttrium complexes with one and two dimethyl ethers and their deuterated derivatives are prepared with laser vaporization molecular beam techniques, identified with photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and investigated with pulsed-field-ionization zero-electronkinetic-energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Adiabatic ionization potentials and yttrium-oxygen stretch and ether-based vibrations are measured for the 1:1 and 1:2 complexes. Fermi interactions are observed from the ZEKE spectra of the 1:1 species. The ground electronic states of the monoligand complexes are determined to be A22 for the neutral and A11 for the singly charged positive ion, both in C2v symmetry, with yttrium binding to oxygen. The coordination of a second ether forms a diligand complex with a linear oxygen-yttrium-oxygen configuration. This is the first electronic-vibrational spectroscopic study of yttrium-polyatomic molecule complexes and weakly bound metal complexes with two or more polyatomic molecules.