Knowledge Bank

The microwave spectrum of the oblate symmetric rotor nitramide $(NH2NO2)$ shows marked effects due to the inversion of the $NH2$ group. The observed intensities of lines in the ground and first excited states of the inversion mode indicate the separation of the corresponding vibrational levels in extremely small, possibly . Assuming planarity of the $N-NO2$ structure the large negative interial defect $(IC\circ IB\circ IA\circ )$ is compatible with the hydrogen atoms being considerably out of the plane. A higher inversion barrier than in formamide or cyanamide might thus be expected.