Studies of intermolecular interactions by matrix isolation vibrational spectroscopy and normal coordinate analysis: Self-association of hydrogen cyanide

A detailed study of the infrared spectra of hydrogen and deuterium cyanide in noble gas, nitrogen and carbon monoxide matrices at 4 K and 20 K has enabled the bands observed to be assigned to monomer, dimer, trimer, tetramer and higher multimer species. Force constants calculated for the linear dimer are used to predict the spectrum of the trimer. The nature of the trapping sites occupied by the monomer and linear dimer, and the structure and trapping site of a second type of dimer observed only in argon matrices, are discussed.