STRUCTURAL DETERMINATIONS FOR 2 ISOMERIC FORMS OF N2O-HCN

High-resolution infrared spectroscopy has been used in conjunction with molecular beam techniques to identify two isomers of the N2O-HCN binary complex. The more abundant isomer has the two monomer units essentially parallel to one another. The less abundant, and presumably higher energy, isomer is linear with the HCN monomer unit acting as the acid. Isotopic substitution reveals that the hydrogen atom is bonded to the oxygen end of the nitrous oxide subunit. Ab initio calculations have also been carried out for this system, using a number of different basis sets. Comparisons are made between the rotational constants, vibrational frequencies, and relative stabilities of the two isomers.