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Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
Published on: April 19, 2019
Non-covalent interaction of benzene with methanol and diethyl ether solid surfaces
Demian Marchione1, Martin R S McCoustra1
1Institute of Chemical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, EH14 4AS, Edinburgh, UK. marchionedemian@gmail.com m.r.s.mccoustra@hw.ac.uk.
Abstract:
We present laboratory experiments on binary, layered ices comprised of benzene (C6H6) on methanol (CH3OH) and on diethyl ether (CH3CH2OCH2CH3). Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) have been used to investigate the growth mechanisms in these systems. Ab initio quantum chemical calculations on simple gas-phase model clusters are used to aid interpretation of the experimental data by highlighting the key interactions established at the interface. Our observations are consistent with C6H6 forming islands on CH3OH, although evidence of strong hydrogen bonding interactions indicates some degree of surface wetting. In contrast, layer-by-layer growth is proposed for C6H6 on the CH3CH2OCH2CH3 substrate.
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