Matrix-Isolation Study of the Water Dimer in Solid Nitrogen

Abstract

The infrared spectra of H2O, D2O, and HDO in nitrogen matrices at temperatures from 20 to 4°K reveal no evidence of rotation of the water molecules. Absorption features attributed to water dimers and the vibrational force constants calculated therefrom are indicative of an open structure with a single moderately weak hydrogen bond. The absence of certain HDO absorptions in the observed spectra can be interpreted as the manifestation of a stronger deuterium-vs-hydrogen bond.