Carbon monoxide donor-acceptor model

IR spectroscopic investigation of intermolecnlar interactions with phenols has a long history. Phenols are freqnently nsed as convenient model proton donors in the study of intermolecularly hydrogen bonded systems. Differently snbstitnted phenols are characterized by a range of different acidities, and complexes can be stndied with a wide variety of proton acceptors. The most commonly adopted acceptors are O and N bases. A special case is carbon monoxide that in complexes with phenols apparently forms ArOH- CO contacts (rather than ArOH- OC). Here we mention some recent investigations with typical proton acceptors like water, alcohols and amines. 

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