Molecular structure vibrational spectroscopy

Since the vibrational spectra of sulfur allotropes are characteristic for their molecular and crystalline structure, vibrational spectroscopy has become a valuable tool in structural studies besides X-ray diffraction techniques. In particular, Raman spectroscopy on sulfur samples at high pressures is much easier to perform than IR spectroscopical studies due to technical demands (e.g., throughput of the IR beam, spectral range in the far-infrared). On the other hand, application of laser radiation for exciting the Raman spectrum may cause photo-induced structural changes. High-pressure phase transitions and structures of elemental sulfur at high pressures were already discussed in [1]. 

This spectrum is called a Raman spectrum and corresponds to the vibrational or rotational changes in the molecule. The selection rules for Raman activity are different from those for i.r. activity and the two types of spectroscopy are complementary in the study of molecular structure. Modern Raman spectrometers use lasers for excitation. In the resonance Raman effect excitation at a frequency corresponding to electronic absorption causes great enhancement of the Raman spectrum. 

Vibrational spectroscopy provides detailed infonnation on both structure and dynamics of molecular species. Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy are the most connnonly used methods, and will be covered in detail in this chapter. There exist other methods to obtain vibrational spectra, but those are somewhat more specialized and used less often. They are discussed in other chapters, and include inelastic neutron scattering (INS), helium atom scattering, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), photoelectron spectroscopy, among others. 

The vibrational states of a molecule are observed experimentally via infrared and Raman spectroscopy. These techniques can help to determine molecular structure and environment. In order to gain such useful information, it is necessary to determine what vibrational motion corresponds to each peak in the spectrum. This assignment can be quite difficult due to the large number of closely spaced peaks possible even in fairly simple molecules. In order to aid in this assignment, many workers use computer simulations to calculate the vibrational frequencies of molecules. This chapter presents a brief description of the various computational techniques available. 

Section 13 20 IR spectroscopy probes molecular structure by examining transitions between vibrational energy levels using electromagnetic radiation m the 625-4000 cm range The presence or absence of a peak at a charac tenstic frequency tells us whether a certain functional group is present Table 13 4 lists IR absorption frequencies for common structural units... 

In the chapter on vibrational spectroscopy (Chapter 6) 1 have expanded the discussions of inversion, ring-puckering and torsional vibrations, including some model potential functions. These types of vibration are very important in the determination of molecular structure. 

The use of computer simulations to study internal motions and thermodynamic properties is receiving increased attention. One important use of the method is to provide a more fundamental understanding of the molecular information contained in various kinds of experiments on these complex systems. In the first part of this paper we review recent work in our laboratory concerned with the use of computer simulations for the interpretation of experimental probes of molecular structure and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids. The interplay between computer simulations and three experimental techniques is emphasized (1) nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation spectroscopy, (2) refinement of macro-molecular x-ray structures, and (3) vibrational spectroscopy. The treatment of solvent effects in biopolymer simulations is a difficult problem. It is not possible to study systematically the effect of solvent conditions, e.g. added salt concentration, on biopolymer properties by means of simulations alone. In the last part of the paper we review a more analytical approach we have developed to study polyelectrolyte properties of solvated biopolymers. The results are compared with computer simulations. 

Surface nitrosyl complexes of TMI have been thoroughly investigated by the computational spectroscopy [22,23,32,33,36,49], and their molecular structure has been ascertained by a remarkable agreement between the theory and experiment of both vibrational (oscillation frequencies and intensities) and magnetic (g and A tensors) parameters. The calculated pNO values for the examined mononitrosyls along with the experimental frequencies are listed in Table 2.6. Analogous collation of the IR data for dinitrosyl species is shown in Table 2.7. 

The molecular structure of Li-, Na-, and K-silicates in 0.2 to 3 mole SiOj/L aqueous solutions has been investigated by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to help exploring their solidification process. These silicates were found to be only partially dissociated and their average molecular weight (AMW) varies with the type of the alkaline ion, the alkaline/silicon ratio, and the concentration. It is demonstrated that these differences are associated with differences in the Qn connectivity ratios of [Si04] tetrahedra and in the dominating siloxane ring structures which can be identified by their vibrational spectra. 

About one decade ago Bass et al. [13,14] proposed first that such approach could help in exploring the structure of water dissolved silicates. Following this initiative, recently we critically evaluated how the published FTIR and Raman assignments could be adopted for differentiating between the molecular structures of some commercially available sodium silicate solutions [7-9,15], In this paper we present comparative structural studies on aqueous lithium and potassium silicate solutions as well. According to some NMR studies, the nature of A+ alkaline ion and the A+/Si ratio barely affects the structural composition of dissolved silicate molecules [5], In contrast, various empirical observations like the tendency of K-silicate solutions to be less tacky and more viscous than their Na-silicate counterparts, the low solubility of silica films obtained from Li-silicate solutions compared to those made from other alkaline silicate solutions, or the dependence of some zeolite structures on the nature of A+ ions in the synthesis mixture hint on likely structural differences [16,17]. It will be shown that vibrational spectroscopy can indeed detect such differences. 

Raman spectroscopy is primarily useful as a diagnostic, inasmuch as the vibrational Raman spectrum is directly related to molecular structure and bonding. The major development since 1965 in spontaneous, c.w. Raman spectroscopy has been the observation and exploitation by chemists of the resonance Raman effect. This advance, pioneered in chemical applications by Long and Loehr (15a) and by Spiro and Strekas (15b), overcomes the inherently feeble nature of normal (nonresonant) Raman scattering and allows observation of Raman spectra of dilute chemical systems. Because the observation of the resonance effect requires selection of a laser wavelength at or near an electronic transition of the sample, developments in resonance Raman spectroscopy have closely paralleled the increasing availability of widely tunable and line-selectable lasers. 

A number of lower sulfur oxides have been described. Most of these oxides are derived from cyclic sulfur polymorphs and were usually prepared by oxidation of these molecules by organic peroxo acids. The oxides have the general formula SraO and n may vary from 5 to 10. For n = 7 even the dioxide S702 is known.4 Not all of these phases were characterized by X-ray diffraction, but the molecular structures are certain with respect to vibrational spectroscopy. The oxygen atom is in exo position with respect to the sulfur ring as it has been shown by X-ray diffraction for SgO and S70, respectively (Figure 2).5,6... 

The dipole and polarization selection rules of microwave and infrared spectroscopy place a restriction on the utility of these techniques in the study of molecular structure. However, there are complementary techniques that can be used to obtain rotational and vibrational spectrum for many other molecules as well. The most useful is Raman spectroscopy. 

Inelastic scattering of light due to the excitation of vibrations had already been predicted in 1923 [37] and was confirmed experimentally a few years later by Raman [38], Because at that time the Raman effect was much easier to measure than infrared absorption, Raman spectroscopy dominated the field of molecular structure determination until commercial infrared spectrometers became available in the 1940s [10]. 

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