Threshold photoelectron spectroscopy of the methoxy radical.

We present here a synchrotron radiation vacuum ultraviolet photoionization study of the simplest alkoxy radical, CH3O, a key reaction intermediate in atmospheric and combustion chemistry. A microwave discharge fast flow tube connected to a molecular beam sampling system is employed as a chemical reactor to initiate reactions and generate radicals. The CH3O+ cation from direct ionization of the CH3O radical is detected successfully in the photoionization mass spectrum close to its ionization threshold. In addition, after identifying and removing the contribution of the 13C-isotopic formaldehyde H2 13CO with the same isobaric mass m/z = 31, the high-resolution threshold photoelectron spectrum of CH3O is obtained and assigned with the aid of calculated Franck-Condon factors. The adiabatic ionization energy of CH3O is determined at 10.701 eV with an accuracy of 0.005 eV.