Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Photoionization Mass Spectroscopy, and Theoretical Study on CCl3SSCN

Trichloromethanesulfenyl thiocyanate, CCl3SSCN, was generated and studied by photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), photoionization mass spectroscopy (PIMS), and theoretical calculations. This molecule exhibits a gauche conformation, and the torsional angle around S-S bond is 91.4 o due to the sulfur-sulfur lone pair interactions. After ionization, the ground-state cationic-radical form of CCl3SSCN*+ adopts a trans planar main-atom structure with Cs symmetry. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of CCl3SSCN corresponds to the electrons mainly localized on the sulfur 3p lone pair MO. The first ionization energy is determined to be 10.40 eV.