Rotational spectra of p-isopropylbenzaldehyde were obtained at a very low temperature in a pulsed-beam Fourier transform-microwave spectrometer and over a range of much higher temperatures in a continuous wave spectrometer. Two species with ground-state rotational constants A=2975.15(14) MHz, B=550.1631(1) MHz, C=516.3000(1) MHz and A=3183.80(30) MHz, B=538.8124(1) MHz, C=512.0049(1) MHz were observed in the beam and are consistent with structures having the methine hydrogen coplanar with the benzene ring and respectively anti and syn to the carbonyl oxygen of the para formyl group. Relative intensities of the rotational transitions indicate that the two conformers have almost equal energies. Near room temperature, in addition to R-branch a-type band series consistent with the anti and syn conformers, a very intense band series with an intermediate B+ C value is observed in the low-resolution microwave spectrum of p-isopropylbenzaldehyde, as previously reported [N.S. True, J. Phys. Chem., 87 (1983) 4622]. Temperature-dependent relative intensity measurements do not support the proposal of these authors that the intensity of this series reflects the population in torsional states above the torsional barrier and can be used to estimate the internal rotation barrier height. Additional factors not directly related to the free rotor population must contribute to the observed intensity.
Read full abstract