Knowledge Bank

The far-infrared spectra of several ring compounds with asymmetric puckering potential functions are either re investigated or reported for the first time, Among these are $chlorocyclobutane,1$ cyclopentene $oxide,2$ trimethylene sulfoxide (TMSO), 2-methyl oxetan and 3-methyl oxetan. In some cases the potential function can be determined uniquely only with the help of very weak transitions in the vicinity of the inversion barrier. For TMSO the microwave results of Bevan $etal3$ are used to verify the assignments and to estimate a reduced mass for the puckering motion.