Hydrogen-bond symmetrization and molecular dissociation in hydrogen halids

Hydrogen chloride is a simple diatomic molecule forming a planar zig-zag chain of molecules connected by hydrogen bonds in the solid phase. Raman spectra were measured for solid HCl to 60 GPa at room temperature. The molecular stretching frequency falls toward zero at about 51 GPa, where the molecular vibrational peaks disappear and the lattice peaks remain. The spectral changes are very similar to those observed for HBr at about 42 GPa and interpreted as hydrogen bond symmetrization. Molecular dissociation into diatomic halogen molecules, which has been observed for HBr, does not occur in HCl. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.