Isomeric trimethylbenzyl radicals were generated and vibronically excited from precursor 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene, isodurene, with a large amount inert carrier gas helium in a corona excited supersonic expansion (CESE) using a pinhole-type glass nozzle. A long-path monochromator was used to record the visible vibronic emission spectra of the jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals in the D 1 → D 0 electronic transition. From the analysis of the spectra, we identified the evidence of the presence of three isomeric trimethylbenzyl radicals in the corona discharge, and obtained the electronic energy and a few vibrational mode frequencies in the ground electronic state for each isomer.

We report the first spectroscopic evidence of the jet-cooled p-chloro-α-methylbenzyl radical. The visible vibronic emission spectrum was recorded from the corona discharge of precursor p-chloro-ethylbenzene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle coupled with a technique of corona excited supersonic expansion. From the comparison with the vibronic spectrum of the p-chlorobenzyl radical, we identified the evidence of formation of the jet-cooled p-chloro-α-methylbenzyl radical in the corona discharge of precursor p-chloro-ethylbenzene.