Knowledge Bank

The 33 planer vibration frequencies of naphthalene, and likewise of naphthalene-$\alpha d4$. and $-ds$ have been calculated using a simple quadratic valence force field with 24 independent constants, initially derived, as far as possible, from benzene. Granted many rassignments, compared with the none too unanimous concensus of current experimental opinion, these results are encouraging, but hardly convincing. Systematic attempts, which are described briefly, have been made to force agreement with certain observed frequencies, and some reassignments are suggested on the basis of difficult in doing this.