Nuclear hyperfine interactions in the microwave spectrum of aluminium isocyanide

The pure rotational spectrum of AINC has been measured between 11.9 and 24.0 GHz using a pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. The molecule was produced using a laser ablation source, in which the ablated Al metal reacted with cyanogen present in the Ar backing gas of the jet. Hyperfine structure due to both the27Al and14N nuclei has been observed. Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants and nuclear spin-rotation constants have been determined for both nuclei along with an AlN nuclear spin-spin coupling constant. The electronic structure of AINC has been investigated by estimating the degree ofsp-hybridisation of the Al and N bonding orbitals. Comparisons have been made to similar linear metal isocyanide and aluminium halide species.