High-Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of Methyl Isocyanide: The ν3, ν6, and ν7 + ν8 Bands

The vibration-rotation spectrum of methyl isocyanide (CH₃NC) has been recorded with the aid of a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer in the region 1370 to 1560 cm⁻¹ containing the perpendicular band of the fundamental vibration ν₆ (species E), the weaker parallel band of the ν₃ (A₁) fundamental, and the perpendicular combination band ν₇ + ν₈ (E) enhanced by Fermi resonance with ν₆. Sixteen hundred seventy well-resolved lines were assigned to 15 subbands of ν₆, 6 subbands of ν₃, and 3 subbands of ν⁻₇ + ν⁻₈. A strong x, y-Coriolis resonance between ν₃ and ν₆ and Fermi resonance between ν^±₆ and the E component ν₇ + ν₈, as well as between ν₃ and the A_1,2 components ν^±₇ + ν₈, greatly affects the spectrum. Additional weaker anharmonic interaction of ν₆ with the ν₄ + 2ν²₈ combination and higher-order rotational interactions connecting the various states were also detected in the spectrum. All of these interactions have been incorporated into a 9 × 9 Hamiltonian matrix used for modeling the upper states of the observed transitions. A set of spectroscopic constants is reported for the upper states of the bands ν₃, ν₆, and ν₇ + ν₈ and for ν₄ + 2ν²₈ which reproduces the observed lines with an overall standard deviation of 0.0012 cm⁻¹.