Photoelectron spectroscopy of the hydroxymethoxide anion, H2C(OH)O−

We report the negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy of the hydroxymethoxide anion, H2C(OH)O−. The photoelectron spectra show that 3.49 eV photodetachment produces two distinct electronic states of the neutral hydroxymethoxy radical (H2C(OH)O⋅). The H2C(OH)O⋅ ground state (X 2A) photoelectron spectrum exhibits a vibrational progression consisting primarily of the OCO symmetric and asymmetric stretches, the OCO bend, as well as combination bands involving these modes with other, lower frequency modes. A high-resolution photoelectron spectrum aids in the assignment of several vibrational frequencies of the neutral H2C(OH)O⋅ radical, including an experimental determination of the H2C(OH)O⋅ 2ν12 overtone of the H–OCO torsional vibration as 220(10) cm−1. The electron affinity of H2C(OH)O⋅ is determined to be 2.220(2) eV. The low-lying A 2A excited state is also observed, with a spectrum that peaks ∼0.8 eV above the X 2A state origin. The A 2A state photoelectron spectrum is a broad, partially resolved ban...