A Low Temperature Infrared Study of Self-association in Thiols

Abstract

The infrared spectra of several aliphatic thiols and of benzenethiol were measured between 2400 and 2700 cm−1, and 4800 and 5300 cm−1 in a 1:1 mixture of CCl3F and C2F4Br2, at temperatures ranging from 20 to −190 °C. Dimerization takes place at low temperatures and more highly associated species also appear. Free S—H groups are present in the solutions as well as in the pure liquids, even at the lowest temperatures. The association is of the [Formula: see text] type in aliphatic thiols; both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bonds are found in the case of benzenethiol and α-toluenethiol. Hydrogen bonding has little effect on the anharmonicity of the S—H stretching vibration.