Conformational Switching of HOCO Radical: Selective Vibrational Excitation and Hydrogen-Atom Tunneling

Conformers of carboxyl radical (HOCO) have been studied by IR spectroscopy in argon and nitrogen matrices. In an argon matrix, only the lower-energy conformer trans-HOCO is observed, whereas both cis and trans conformers are found for deuterated carboxyl radical DOCO. In a nitrogen matrix, both conformers of HOCO and DOCO isotopologues can be prepared, indicating strong stabilization of the higher-energy cis conformer by a nitrogen matrix....