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Published on: June 8, 2022
Structural isomers and low-lying electronic states of gas-phase M+(N2O)n (M = Co, Rh, Ir) ion-molecule complexes
Ethan M Cunningham1, Alexander S Gentleman1, Peter W Beardsmore1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK. stuart.mackenzie@chem.ox.ac.uk.
Abstract:
The structures of gas-phase group nine cation-nitrous oxide metal-ligand complexes, M+(N2O)n (M = Co, Rh, Ir; n = 2-7) have been determined by a combination of infrared photodissociation spectroscopy and density functional theory. The infrared spectra were recorded in the region of the N2O asymmetric (N[double bond, length as m-dash]N) stretch using the inert messenger technique and show spectroscopically distinct features for N- and O-bound isomers. The evolution of the spectra with increasing ligand number is qualitatively different for each of the metal ions studied here with only Co+(N2O)n complexes behaving similarly to the coinage metal complexes studied previously. The rich variety of electronic and isomeric structures identified make these species attractive targets for infrared-driven, isomer selective intra-complex chemistry.
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