Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and theoretical study of the hydrolysis of boron dioxide in solid argon.
The reaction of boron dioxide with water molecule has been studied using matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy. The boron dioxide molecules produced by codeposition of laser-evaporated boron atoms with dioxygen react spontaneously with water molecules to form OB(OH)2, which is characterized to have a doublet ground-state with two OH groups in the cis-trans form. Isotopic substitution results indicate that the hydrolysis process proceeds via a concerted two hydrogen atom transfer mechanism. The cis-trans-OB(OH)2 molecule is photosensitive; it decomposes to the OH x OB(OH) complex upon broadband UV-visible irradiation. The OH x OB(OH) complex is determined to have a (2)A'' ground-state with a bent C(s) symmetry, in which the terminal oxygen atom of the OB(OH) fragment is hydrogen bonded with the hydroxyl radical. The OH x OB(OH) complex recombines to the cis-trans-OB(OH)2 molecule upon sample annealing.
Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysts and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Yu
Y
Gong
Mingfei
M
Zhou