A Photoelectron Investigation of the Peroxide Bond

Abstract

The photoelectron spectra of several peroxides and their interpretation is presented. The effects of substituents is separated from vicinal orbital interactions using as a guideline the effect of similar substitution on the ether analogues. It is found that by comparison of Raman spectroscopic frequencies of the peroxide ground state, and vibrational frequencies for the ion (via pes), that the HOMO of peroxides is antibonding with respect to the O—O linkage. Additionally, the dependence of the splitting of the two highest occupied molecular orbitals on dihedral angle is verified by the pe spectra of several well-defined cyclic peroxides. Finally, the pe spectrum of tetramethyl-1,2-dioxacyclobutane (tetramethyl dioxetane) is presented indicating that it is not unlike other cyclic peroxides.