MICROWAVE SPECTRA AND STRUCTURE OF CF$_3$I$\cdots$CO

Abstract

A Chirped Pulse Fourier transform Microwave spectrometer has been used to measure the pure rotational spectrum of CF$_3$I$\cdots$CO. This complex is generated by supersonic expansion of a gas sample containing a small percentage of CF$_3$I, and CO in argon. The rotational constant $\it{B}_{\rm{0}}$, centrifugal distortion constants, \Delta$_\it{J}$ and \Delta$_\it{JK}$, and nuclear quadrupole coupling constant for iodine, $\chi_{aa}$(I), have been determined for each of CF$_3$I$\cdots$$^{12}$C$^{16}$O, CF$_3$I$\cdots$$^{13}$C$^{16}$O and CF$_3$I$\cdots$ $^{12}$C$^{18}$O allowing determination of the distance between the two sub-units. The complex is a prolate symmetric top with $\it{C}_{\rm{3v}}$ symmetry.