Knowledge Bank

The microwave spectrum of sulfur chloride, CISF, has been measured for the first time, using a pulsed-jet cavity Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. The samples were prepared from mixtures of $SCL2/SF6OTCl2/SF6$ in Ne carrier gas, using an electric discharge nozzle. Spectra of three isotopomers $(35CI32S19F, 37CI32S19F$, and $\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">35</mrow>}CI34S19F)$ have been observed in natural abundance, and have been analysed to produce rotation constants, centrifugal distortion constants, and hyperfine parameters of CI and F. The molecular geometry has been derived. The harmonic force field has been refined, and used as part of the structure determination. The CI quadrupole coupling constants and F spin-rotation constants have given information on the electronic structure. In particular, some rather unusual, negative, F spin-rotational constants will be discussed in terms of a potential electronic spectrum.