Far-infrared spectrum and structure of copper monocarbonyl isolated in solid argon Original Research Article

The vibrational spectrum of ground-state CuCO isolated in solid argon at low temperature has been reinvestigated. In addition to the strongly infrared (IR) absorbing mode, ν1, already observed, the low-frequency metal–ligand stretching and bending modes ν2 and ν3 have been measured in the far-IR region. With the help of various isotopic substitutions using Cu 12C 16O, Cu 13C 16O and Cu 12C 18O and harmonic force-field calculations based on the assumption of linear and bent geometries, some of the molecular parameters (bond force constants and valence angle) can be estimated and compared with theoretical predictions and to those derived for NiCO.