The two-dimensional anharmonic oscillator: The CCC bending mode of C3O2

Newly observed data on the rotational constants of carbon su?ide in excited vibrational states of the low-wavenumber bending vibration ν₇ have been successfully interpreted in terms of the two-dimensional anharmonic oscillator wavefunctions associated with this vibration. By combining these results with published infrared and Raman spectra the vibrational assignment has been extended and a refined bending potential for ν₇ has been derived: this has a minimum at a bending angle of about 24° at the central C atom, with an energy maximum at the linear configuration some 23 cm^?1 above the minimum. From similar data on the combination and hot bands of ν₇ with ν₄ (1587 cm^?1) and ν₂ (786 cm^?1) the effective ν₇ bending potential has also been determined in the one-quantum excited states of ν₄ and ν₂. The effective ν₇ potential shows significant changes from the ground vibrational state; the central hump in the ν₇ potential surface is increased to about 50 cm^?1 in the v₄ = 1 state, and decreased to about 1 cm^?1 in the v₂ = 1 state. In the light of these results vibrational assignments are suggested for most of the observed bands in the infrared and Raman spectra of C₃O₂.