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Title: Fourier Transform Spectroscopy of CH3OH: Rotation-Torsion-Vibration Structure for the CH3-Rocking and OH-Bending Modes

Journal Article · · Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy

High-resolution Fourier Transform Spectra of CH3OH have been investigated in the infrared region from 930 -1450 cm-1 in order to map the torsion-rotation energy manifolds associated with the v7 in-plane CH3 rock, the v11 out-of-plane CH3 rock, and the v6 OH bend. Upper-state term values have been determined from the assigned spectral subbands, and have been fitted to power-series expansions to obtain substate origins and effective B-values for the three modes. The substate origins have been grouped into related families according to systemic trends observed in the torsion-vibration energy map, but there are substantial differences from the traditional torsional patterns. There appears to be significant torsion-mediated spectral fractionation, and a variety of subbands of mixed torsion-vibration parentage have been observed. For example, coupling of the v6=1 OH bend to nearby torsionally excited (v1, vt) = (1,1) CH3-rock and (v8, vt) = (1,1) CO-stretch states introduces (v6, vt) = (1,0) ? (0,1) ''forbidden'' subbands into the spectrum and makes the v7+v12-v12 torsional hot band stronger than the v7 fundamental. The results suggest a picture of strong coupling the OH-bending, CH3-rocking and CO-stretching modes that modifies the traditional energy structure and raises interesting and provocative questions about the torsion-vibration identity of a number of the observed states.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
15020724
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-41223; 2444; KP1301030; TRN: US200521%%110
Journal Information:
Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy, Vol. 228, Issue 2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English