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Updated: Aug 7, 2025

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Published on: October 9, 2020
Revealing Internal Rotation and 14N Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling in the Atmospheric Pollutant 4-Methyl-2-nitrophenol:
Shefali Baweja1, Eleonore Antonelli2, Safia Hussain1
1Department of Chemistry, King's College London, Britannia House, 7 Trinity Street, London SE1 1DB, UK.
Abstract:
The structure and interactions of oxygenated aromatic molecules are of atmospheric interest due to their toxicity and as precursors of aerosols. Here, we present the analysis of 4-methyl-2-nitrophenol (4MNP) using chirped pulse and Fabry-Pérot Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy in combination with quantum chemical calculations. The rotational, centrifugal distortion, and 14N nuclear quadrupole coupling constants of the lowest-energy conformer of 4MNP were determined as well as the barrier to methyl internal rotation. The latter has a value of 106.4456(8) cm-1, significantly larger than those from related molecules with only one hydroxyl or nitro substituent in the same para or meta positions, respectively, as 4MNP. Our results serve as a basis to understand the interactions of 4MNP with atmospheric molecules and the influence of the electronic environment on methyl internal rotation barrier heights.
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