Vibrational spectra and torsional analyses of cis-2,3-dimethyloxirane and trans-2,3-dimethyloxirane

The Raman spectra of cis-2,3-dimethyloxirane and trans-2,3-dimethyloxirane in the vapor, liquid, and polycrystalline solid phases are reported for the region between 25 and 3100 cm^?1. The IR spectra of these two compounds between 80 and 4000 cm^?1 in the vapor and polycrystalline solid phases are also reported. In the IR and Raman spectra of gaseous trans-2,3-dimethyloxirane a total of eight torsional transitions have been observed. In the Raman spectrum of the cis compound in the vapor phase, four torsional transitions have been observed. From these experimental data, periodic barriers to the methyl torsional motions have been calculated to be 905 ± 7 cm^?1 (2.5 kcal mol^?1) for the trans molecule and 617 ±5 cm^?1 (1.76 kcal mol^?1) for the cis molecule. Additionally, complete vibrational assignments based on band contours, depolarization values, and group frequencies are proposed for both molecules and gas-phase thermodynamic functions have been calculated. These results are compared to the corresponding quantities for some similar molecules.