CHEMICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MOLECULAR COMPLEXES USING MATRIX ISOLATION SPECTROSCOPY

The application of the matrix isolation technique to molecular complexes study is described. Following a short description of the experimental technique three areas are reviewed in which matrix experiments are particularly well suited to determine the spectroscopic photochemical and photophysical properties of molecular complexes. The first one involves the IR spectroscopic properties of molecular complexes and is divided into three sections: charge transfer complexes, hydrogen bonded complexes, structural arrangement of weak complexes. The second one is devoted to infrared photodissociation of hydrogen bonded complexes. The third part is related to visible and UV photochemistry of some molecular complexes. Examples including mainly atmospheric species are chosen to evidence the power of the method for stabilizing a wide range of molecular complexes from those between highly reactive reagents to weakly bound complexes often postulated as reaction or catalytic intermediates at room temperature.