Conformational analysis of ethyl-substituted Criegee intermediate by FTMW spectroscopy

gas mixture and spectroscopically characterized by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in a pulsed supersonic jet. The comparison between the experimental rotational constants and those calculated ab initio unambiguously confirms the identification of three conformers, providing the definitive probe for their molecular structures. Some of the observed pure rotational transitions show small splittings corresponding to the A/E components due to the threefold methyl internal rotation, which made it possible to determine the barrier heights of the hindered methyl rotation. The conformational abundances as well as the non observation of a plausible fourth conformer have been rationalized in terms of interconversion processes between conformers and interactions between the terminal oxygen and the protons of the ethyl moiety.