Photodepletion measurements of the Zr⋯F–CH3 van der Waals complex

We report here on the observation of the Zr⋯F–CH3 van der Waals complexes in a laser ablation – supersonic expansion source. The complexes are studied using a combination of laser spectroscopy and time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection. We show that the (1:1) Zr⋯F–CH3 complex is stable in the ground electronic state. By a ground state photodepletion method, we have characterized one of the transitions in the 600–700 nm region as correlating asymptotically with the z 3 F 2 0 ← a 3 F 2 atomic transition from the ground state of free Zr atom. The corresponding excited state of the Zr⋯F–CH3 complex is reactive with activation of the C–F bond.