Infrared spectroscopic detection of the methylgermyl (H2GeCH3) radical and its perdeuterated counterpart in low temperature matrices

The Cs symmetric methylgermyl radical, H2GeCH3(X2A′), and its D5-isotopomer were detected via infrared spectroscopy in electron-irradiated methane – germane matrices via the ν6 mode at 839 cm−1 and the ν12 absorption at 1406 cm−1. Experiments with D4-germane – D4-methane matrices also detected absorptions from the D5-methylgermyl species upon electron exposure at 624 cm−1 (ν7) and 1406 cm−1 (ν3) originating from the CD3 and GeD2 groups of the D5-methylgermyl radical. Kinetic fits suggest that methylgermyl is formed via a unimolecular decomposition of methylgermane molecules (H3GeCH3), which in turn were synthesized via recombination of germyl (GeH3) and methyl (CH3) in the matrix.