title: Pseudorotation in the D2O trimer.
abstract: Far-infrared spectra of Ar/D2O supersonic expansions have been recorded between 39 and 44 cm-1, in which a c-type band centered at 41.1 cm-1 was observed. This new band, attributed to the cyclic water trimer, has the same ground state rotational constants as the (D20)3 98 cm-1 a-type band reported by Liu et al. [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116 (1994) 3507]. Fits of the observed far-infrared band positions to an effective one-dimensional potential require a substantially larger pseudorotation barrier or effective moment of inertia than predicted theoretically. Estimated frequencies of unobserved transitions in the pseudorotation manifolds of (D2O)3 and (H20)3 are presented as a guide to future experimental searches.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Blake
mesh_terms: D002627:Chemistry, Physical / Q000379:methods; D017666:Deuterium Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D017666:Deuterium Oxide