Quantum effects in the electronic structure of liquid methanol measured by gamma-ray diffraction

The electronic structure factors for liquid light methanol (CH3OH) and heavy methanol (CD3OD) have been measured at 23 degrees C under their normal vapour pressures using a gamma-ray beam from an Am-241 radio-isotope source. Observable differences between the electronic structure factors of the two liquids reveal small, but real changes in their r-space correlation functions. This is due to quantum effects in the intermolecular and intramolecular electron density correlation functions and will be discussed in terms of the structures of light and heavy liquid methanol.