Fast IR spectroscopy

Until recently, fast time-resolved IR spectroscopy has been a technique fraught with difficulty. Generally it has been easier to use low temperature techniques, particularly matrix isolation (2,4), to prolong the lifetime of the fragments so that conventional spectrometers can be used. In the last 5 years, however, there have been major advances in fast IR spectroscopy. It is now posssible to detect metal carbonyl intermediates at room temperature in both solution and gas phase reactions. In Section II of this article, we explain the principles of these new IR techniques and describe the apparatus involved in some detail. In Section III we give a self-contained summary of the organometallic chemistry that has already been unravelled by time-resolved IR spectroscopy. 

Time-resolved Infrared spectroscopy (TRIR), a combination of UV flash photolysis and fast IR spectroscopy (ns), has been outstandingly successful in identifying reactive intermediates [5] and excited states [6] of metal carbonyl complexes in solution at room temperature. We have used infrared spectroscopy to probe the mechanism of photo-17] and electrochemical [8] catalytic reduction of COj. We have used TRIR to study organometallic reactions in supercritical fluids on a nanosecond time-scale [9-10]. 

Observation of an alkane complex by NMR spectroscopy is complicated by several factors, including (1) the complex must be longer lived than is required by fast IR spectroscopy, and (2) generation of a coordinatively unsaturated intermediate... 

The detection of short-lived transient species is often achieved by flash photolysis where an extremely short flash of UV/Vis radiation from a laser generates a high concentration of transient species, and a second probe beam monitors any changes that occur after the flash. Traditionally, UVA is spectroscopy has been used as a detection method. However, time-resolved infrared spectroscopy (TRIR), a combination of UV flash photolysis and fast IR detection, also has a long history. There are several different approaches to fast IR spectroscopy and the method of choice depends upon the timescale of the reaction. Measurements on the nanosecond to millisecond timescale are obtained using point-by-point techniques or by step-scan FTIR. In the point-by-point approach, a continuous wave IR laser (GO or diode) or globar is used as the IR source, which is tuned to one particular IR frequency (Figure 3). ... 

As mentioned, we also carried out IR studies (a fast vibrational spectroscopy) early in our work on carbocations. In our studies of the norbornyl cation we obtained Raman spectra as well, although at the time it was not possible to theoretically calculate the spectra. Comparison with model compounds (the 2-norbornyl system and nortri-cyclane, respectively) indicated the symmetrical, bridged nature of the ion. In recent years, Sunko and Schleyer were able, using the since-developed Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) method, to obtain the spectrum of the norbornyl cation and to compare it with the theoretically calculated one. Again, it was rewarding that their data were in excellent accord with our earlier work. 

For on-bead analysis vibrational spectroscopy (IR-spectroscopy) can be employed attenuated total reflection is a method allowing fast and nondestructive on-bead analysis of small samples (single bead analysis) without significant sample preparation. Solid phase NMR is the method of choice if complex structural analysis is intended on the support. Spatially resolved analysis on the resin is possible with microscopic techniques. 

Experimental limitations initially limited the types of molecular systems that could be studied by TRIR spectroscopy. The main obstacles were the lack of readily tunable intense IR sources and sensitive fast IR detectors. Early TRIR work focused on gas phase studies because long pathlengths and/or multipass cells could be used without interference from solvent IR bands. Pimentel and co-workers first developed a rapid scan dispersive IR spectrometer (using a carbon arc broadband IR source) with time and spectral resolution on the order of 10 ps and 1 cm , respectively, and reported the gas phase IR spectra of a number of fundamental organic intermediates (e.g., CH3, CD3, and Cp2). Subsequent gas phase approaches with improved time and spectral resolution took advantage of pulsed IR sources. 

FTIR instrumentation is mature. A typical routine mid-IR spectrometer has KBr optics, best resolution of around 1cm-1, and a room temperature DTGS detector. Noise levels below 0.1 % T peak-to-peak can be achieved in a few seconds. The sample compartment will accommodate a variety of sampling accessories such as those for ATR (attenuated total reflection) and diffuse reflection. At present, IR spectra can be obtained with fast and very fast FTIR interferometers with microscopes, in reflection and microreflection, in diffusion, at very low or very high temperatures, in dilute solutions, etc. Hyphenated IR techniques such as PyFTIR, TG-FTIR, GC-FTIR, HPLC-FTIR and SEC-FTIR (Chapter 7) can simplify many problems and streamline the selection process by doing multiple analyses with one sampling. Solvent absorbance limits flow-through IR spectroscopy cells so as to make them impractical for polymer analysis. Advanced FTIR... 

Detection of Transient Organometallic Species by Fast Time-Resolved IR Spectroscopy... 

This section must necessarily be regarded as a preliminary review. The first paper (60) on fast time-resolved IR spectroscopy of an organometallic species was published in mid-1982. By the end of 1984, a further 10 papers had been published, accepted, or submitted to journals. In order to present... 

Poliakoff, M. Weitz, E. Detection of Transient Organometallic Species by Fast Time-Resolved IR Spectroscopy, in Stone, F.G.A. R. West, Eds Advances in Organometallic Chemistry, 1986, 25, 277. 

The mechanism of this reaction was studied in detail, using high-pressure UV and IR spectroscopy. The first step is a fast thermal reaction of cobalt acetate with syn-gas and phosphine to from the ionic complex 7. The yellow cation is the photoactive species. 

Dynamics of High-Temperature Carbon Monoxide Chemisorption on Platinum-Alumina by Fast-Response IR Spectroscopy... 

The subsequent Claisen-Schmidt reaction was originally performed on a 10-pmol scale using 20-fold excess of both acetophenone and LiOH to achieve complete formation of the chalcone 8. This result could be verified on a small scale however, employing the same conditions on a 35-mmol scale resulted in no conversion even after 22 h, as revealed by IR spectroscopy. By cleaving a resin sample with 20% TFA in dichloromethane, only -formylbenzamide 11 was detected by HPLC. This result may be explained by the low solubility of LiOH in DME under dry/aprotic conditions. Therefore, a small amount of EtOH was added, which initiated a fast reaction (Chiu et al. 1999) and the formation of the desired chalcone 8 together with 20% of the Michael adduct 10 (Fig. 2). This was confirmed by sample cleavage from the resin and LC-MS analysis. Short reaction screening resulted in considerable im-... 

Deuterium labelling can, in principle, provide mechanistic information on hydro-formylation reactions, but complications may arise if scrambling of the D-label bet veen a metal hydride and D2 is fast. The isotopic exchange reaction shown in Eq. (9) was probed by rapid scan HP IR spectroscopy (1.3 scans s" ) where 21 is the bidentate pyrrolyl-based phosphorus amidite ligand illustrated [8]. 

Among various physicochemical methods, IR spectroscopy and NMR are most appropriate tools for the study of dihydrogen bonds in solution. However, it is worth mentioning that these methods are basically different. First, they measure physical properties that change upon complexation bond vibrations and magnetic behavior. Second, equilibrium (4.1) is usually slow on the IR spectroscopy time scale and very fast on the NMR time scale. In other words, proton donors, proton acceptor, and their complexes are detected separately in IR spectra, whereas the NMR parameters of these moieties are usually averaged. 

The structures of the novel ferrocenyl dendrimers 1-6 were straightforwardly established by a variety of spectroscopic and analytical techniques including H, C, and Si NMR and IR spectroscopies, fast atom bombardment mass spectrome-... 

Even in modern quality control laboratories you will find a number of traditional methods for the identification of single flavour compounds, for example the estimation of optical rotation, refractive index, density and melting point, since these methods are generally accepted, effective and less time-consuming. Especially for the purpose of fast identification checks of more complex systems, spectroscopic methods, above all infrared (IR) and near-IR spectroscopy, are gaining more and more importance. 

The fact that ATR-IR spectroscopy uses an evanescent field and therefore probes only the volume very close to the IRE has important consequences for its application in heterogeneous catalysis, in investigations of films of powder catalysts. The catalyst particle size and packing affect the size of the detectable signals from the catalyst and bulk phase. Furthermore, if the catalyst layer is much thicker than the penetration depth of the evanescent field, diffusion of reactants and products may influence the observed signals. In fast reactions, gradients may exist within the catalyst layer, and ATR probes only the slice closest to the IRE. 

Exchange studies of14 NO with 1 5 NO monitored by IR spectroscopy show fast exchange with the NOFe(R2Dtc)2 complexes and slow exchange with the NOFe(R2Dtc)2X complexes (355). 

Silylenes are short-lived intermediates, and their detection requires fast methods such as ultraviolet (UV)24 or laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy.25 The characteristic absorption maxima in the UV-visible spectra of these species, which are assigned to n - p transitions of electrons at the silicon atom, were used as a fingerprint to prove the occurrence of silylenes in matrices or solution. In addition, these transient species, which under normal conditions are too short lived to be observed by a slow detection method such as infrared (IR) spectroscopy, can be isolated in inert hydrocarbon or noble gas matrices, thus allowing the accurate measurement of their IR spectra. 

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