Knowledge Bank

The pyrolysis of methoxyacetonitrile produces an abundance of simpler molecules as evidenced by the FT-IR spectrum(1). One of the more interesting molecules produced in the pyrolysis is formyl cyanide, CHOCN. The origin band of formyl cyanide at $26291cm-1$ was excited with a YAG pumped dye laser system and the resultant emission dispersed by a low resolution photodiode array spectrometer. An impurity free spectrum is obtained and a preliminary analysis has confirmed the tentative assignments from the weaker and molecule rich FT-IR spectra. Two new ground state frequencies have been observed and assigned. The results of this and the ongoing higher resolution work will be presented. The high resolution absorption spectrum of the $O0\mathrm{<mrow\; data-mjx-texclass="ORD">0</mrow>}$ band of the $A1A\prime \prime -X1A\prime$ electronic transition in formyl cyanide has been recorded and is similar in appearance to that of the type C origin band of propynal. The results of the preliminary analysis of CHOCN has yielded only the symmetric rotor rotational constants due in part to the heavy congestion near the band origin. Work on a band contour fit and the supersonic jet spectrum is in progress and some of the recent results will be presented.