VIBRATIONAL-SPECTRA OF ISOMERIC PYRIDINIC CARBOXYLIC-ACIDS IN SOLID-STATE AND IN SOLUTION AND THEIR SERS STUDIES IN SILVER SOL

Raman spectroscopic studies of three isomeric pyridinic carboxylic acids, viz. picolinic, nicotinic and iso-nicotinic acid in solid state, in aqueous solution and in silver hydrosol, in the frequency range 900-1750 cm-1, have been made. Assignments of the observed bands have been proposed in relation to the molecular forms present in solid state and in solution. Different degrees of intensity enhancements of the Raman bands in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) have been observed in all the three isomeric molecules. In iso-nicotinic acid, the intensity enhancement has been found to be minimum. Comparisons of Raman spectra in aqueous solution with those due to SERS in silver sol indicate that picolinic and nicotinic acid adsorb perpendicularly to the sol surface whereas in iso-nicotinic acid it occurs via donation of a pi-electron of the aromatic ring, i.e. the plane of the ring lies parallel to the surface of the sol.