Examinations of the Matrix Isolation Fourier Transform Infrared Spectra of Organic Compounds: Part XVI

Abstract

Information concerning the matrix isolation Fourier transform infrared spectra of a series of alkanes, esters, lactones, lactams, phenols, alcohols, amides, alkenes, and ketones is presented. A comparison between the characteristics of the spectra in two matrices (argon and xenon) as well as in the absence of any matrix (bare gold disk) is drawn. The impact of these matrices on the characteristics of the IR spectra is compared with the impact observed when spectra are gathered in the vapor phase as well as the condensed phase/solid state. For the majority of compounds studied, the major absorption bands of each class of compound fall between higher values for the vapor phase and lower values for the condensed phase when either argon or xenon is used as the matrix gas. The few exceptions are discussed. The absorption bands found in the xenon matrix are usually at a lower energy than are comparable bands in the argon matrix. In most all cases, the values of absorptions for compounds on the bare disk were lower than the comparable values found in the argon matrix. These results represent the first extensive study at 10 K of the effect of different matrix gas hosts and document the proposal that preconceptions of noble gases as inert hosts for the examination of FT-IR spectra at low temperature are not valid.