Infra-Red Absorption Spectrum of Carbonyl Sulphide

Abstract

RECENT developments in the theory of band spectra in the infra-red1 lend particular interest to all new experimental results for triatomic molecules. We have recently examined the absorption spectrum of carbonyl sulphide, making use of a monochromator method in order to avoid the photochemical decomposition to be expected on exposure of this substance to the full energy of a Nernst filament. We find a complicated spectrum—a fact which in itself demonstrates the lack of symmetry in the molecule: the results are summarised in Fig. 1. In the few cases in which the bands have been resolved, the separation between the P and R branches is given.