THE VIBRATIONAL SPECTRA OF FORMATE, ACETATE, AND OXALATE IONS

Abstract

The infrared sepctra of solid sodium formate, acetate, and oxalate and the saturated aqueous solutions have been obtained from 3 - 33 $\mu$. The Raman sepctra of the solutions have also been obtained with a photoelectric spectrometer, and depolarization ratios have been measured. A complete vibrational assignment is made for a planar formate ion, but only partial assignments have been given for the acetate adn oxalate ions. From the potential constants, the formate ion in solution has a greater OCO angle ($\sim 60$) and shorter bond distance ($\sim0.008$A) than in the crystalline salt.