Infrared studies of water in crystalline hydrates: K2HgCl4.H2O

Abstract

Infrared spectra of polycrystalline K2HgCl4.H2O at different degrees of deuteration were recorded, in the 4000–250 cm−1 region, at temperatures between liquid-nitrogen and 130 °C. The spectra confirm the existence of a single type of water molecule, engaged in two equivalent hydrogen bonds. The value of 2548 cm−1 for the isolated O—D stretching frequency leads to an estimate of 3.25(3) Å for the O … Cl hydrogen-bond distance, in excellent agreement with the results of X-ray and neutron diffraction. Dynamic coupling is appreciable for stretch, bend, and librational fundamentals but is weaker than in CuCl2.2H2O or K2CuCl4.2H2O, in which the water molecules in the crystal are more tightly bonded.A number of corrected values are reported of isolated O—D stretching frequencies in hydrates studied previously.