Quantum Effects for a Proton in a Low-Barrier, Double-Well Potential: Core Level Photoemission Spectroscopy of Acetylacetone

We have performed core level photoemission spectroscopy of gaseous acetylacetone, its fully deuterated form, and two derivatives, benzoylacetone and dibenzoylmethane. These molecules show intramolecular hydrogen bonds, with a proton located in a double-well potential, whose barrier height is different for the three compounds. This has allowed us to examine the effect of the double-well potential on photoemission spectra. Two distinct O 1s core hole peaks are observed, previously assigned to two chemical states of oxygen. We provide an alternative assignment of the double-peak structure of O 1s spectra by taking full account of the extended nature of the wave function associated with the nuclear motion of the proton, the shape of the ground and final state potentials in which the proton is located, and the nonzero temperature of the samples. The peaks are explained in terms of an unusual Franck-Condon factor distribution.