Time Resolved Resonance Raman Spectroscopy
of Chromium
Pentacarbonyl
- or: how i learned to stop worrying and
love the wave equation
Abstract
Coordinately unsaturated metal complexes can activate C-H bonds enough to form weak bonds with saturated alkanes. Understanding the nature of the bond between typically inert alkanes and metal complexes could lead to the development of a method to catalyz
e intramolecular alkane insertion. Cyclohexane solvated chromium pentacarbonyl is produced upon the photolysis of chromium hexacarbonyl in cyclohexane. There has never been a resonance Raman spectrum obtained in the visible for the solvated pentacarbonyl
and there are some unanswered questions raised by previously obtained spectra in the ultraviolet. A time resolved Raman apparatus has been assembled and extensively tested, however, the goals of obtaining a visible resonance Raman spectrum of this compoun
d and alleviating the ambiguity of the UV spectra have both been unrealized. The solvated species has proven itself to be uncooperative at the visible wavelengths and the UV work has been plagued by technical difficulties that have just begun to be solved
as this thesis has come due.