Formation of a CO–CH4 complex in thin solid films below 50 K

✍ Scribed by W.Z. Alsindi; D.O. Gardner; E.F. van Dishoeck; H.J. Fraser

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 345 KB
• Volume: 378
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2614
• DOI: 10.1016/s0009-2614(03)01288-0

✦ Synopsis

We have investigated the physical and chemical behaviour of pure-, mixed-, layered-, and thin-solid films of CO and CH 4 using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Very little difference exists between the sublimation behaviour of the films. In contrast, a significant spectral feature was observed at $2136 cm À1 only in the mixed CO:CH 4 films, and was replicated by ab initio calculations on the gas-phase CO-CH 4 complex. The complex is due to a Ôpseudo-double p-hydrogen bondÕ, with binding energy of around 14 kJ mol À1 . To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of this complex.