Photoionization spectroscopy of AuAr

Resonant photoionization spectroscopy probes the new metal van der Waals complex AuAr. Band systems observed near 270 nm and 245 nm correlate to the spin-orbit components (2P12→2S and 2P32→2S) of the Au (6p ← 6s) atomic transition. Extrapolated progressions yield the excited state convergence energy, which is combined with the atomic asymptote to yield the ground state bond energy. DO″ = 130 ± 15 cm−1. Lower limits for the excited state binding energies are DO′(2II12)⩾338 cm−1 and DO′(2,II32)⩾654 cm−1. The ionization potential is ⩽9.208 eV. AuAr is compared to the CuRG and AgRG complexes studied previously.