Dinitrogen pentoxide absorption spectra

The Raman spectrum of nitric acid shows two weak bands at 1050 and 1400 cm. By comparison with the spectra of isolated nitronium salts ( 2.3.1), these bonds were attributed to the nitrate and nitronium ion respectively. Solutions of dinitrogen pentoxide in nitric acid show these bands , but not those characteristic of the covalent anhydride , indicating that the self-dehydration of nitric acid does not lead to molecular dinitrogen pentoxide. Later work on the Raman spectrum indicates that at —15 °C the concentrations of nitrate and nitronium ion are 0-37 mol 1 and 0 34 mol 1 , respectively. The infra-red spectrum of nitric acid shows absorption bands characteristic of the nitronium ion. The equivalence of the concentrations of nitronium and nitrate ions argues against the importance of the following equilibrium ... 

The two absorption bands, at 1050 and 1400 cm , which appear in the Raman spectra of solutions of nitric acid in concentrated sulphuric acid are not attributable to either of the acid molecules. In oleum the lower band appears at 1075-1095 cm. That these bands seemed to correspond to those in the spectra of anhydrous nitric acid and solid dinitrogen pentoxide caused some confusion in the assignment of the spectrum. The situation was resolved by examining the Raman spectra of solutions of nitric acid in perchloric or selenic acids , in which the strong absorption at 1400 cm is not accompanied by absorption at about 1050 cm . Thus, the band at 1400 cm arises from the nitronium ion, and the band at about 1050 cm can be attributed in the cases of nitric acid and solid dinitrogen pentoxide to the nitrate ion formed according to the following schemes ... 

Solid covalent dinitrogen pentoxide can be prepared by freezing the vapour with liquid helium. Normally, solid dinitrogen pentoxide exists as (NO2+) (NOj ), showing absorption bands in its Raman spectrum only at 1050 and 1400 cm the structure of this form has been determined by X-ray crystallography. ... 

Solutions of dinitrogen pentoxide in nitric acid or sulphuric acid exhibit absorptions in the Raman spectrum at 1050 and 1400 cm with intensities proportional to the stoichiometric concentration of dinitrogen pentoxide, showing that in these media the ionization of dinitrogen pentoxide is complete. Concentrated solutions in water (mole fraction of NgOg > 0-5) show some ionization to nitrate and nitronium ion. Dinitrogen pentoxide is not ionized in solutions in carbon tetrachloride, chloroform or nitromethane. ... 

Yao, F., I. Wilson, and H. Johnston, Temperature dependent ultraviolet absorption spectrum for dinitrogen pentoxide. J Phys Chem 86, 3611, 1982. 

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