LAUSR

Abstract The rotational spectrum of 3-methylphenylacetylene has been recorded in the 2–8 GHz region using a chirped-pulse broadband microwave spectrometer. Torsion-rotation transition splittings are observed from a tunneling motion along the methyl internal rotation axis. The XIAM program was used to characterize the splitting, yielding an internal rotation barrier, V 3 , of 11.4259722 ± 0.00002 cm−1. While this barrier is considered low, fits of A-state only transitions yield a quality, rigid-rotor fit, and are compared to the combined A/E fits. Computationally predicted barriers are estimated between 14.4 and 28.9 cm−1.