Infrared spectroscopy of matrix-isolated polycyclic aromatic compounds and their ions. 7. Phenazine, a dual substituted polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycle Original Research Article

The matrix-isolation technique has been employed to measure the mid-infrared spectra of phenazine (C12H8N2), a dual substituted polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycle (PANH), in the neutral, cationic and anionic forms. The experimentally measured band frequencies and intensities are tabulated and compared with their calculated values as well as those of the non-substituted parent molecule, anthracene. The theoretical band positions and intensities were calculated using both the 4-31G as well as the larger 6-31G* basis sets. A comparison of the results can be found in the tables. The spectroscopic properties of phenazine and its cation are similar to those observed in mono-substituted PANHs, with one exception. The presence of a second nitrogen atom results in an additional enhancement of the cation’s total integrated intensity, for the 1500–1000 cm−1 (6.7–10 μm) region, over that observed for a mono-substituted PANH cation. The significance of this enhancement and the astrobiological implications of these results are discussed.