Measurement of Infrared Band Contours in Solution

Abstract

Infrared band contours have been observed for nonpolar molecules in the liquid phase and in solution in nonpolar solvents with a spectral slitwidth of about 1 cm^—1. A criterion was established for measuring the relative amounts of Lorentzian and Gaussian character to a band. It was found that symmetric bands were Lorentzian and that asymmetry appeared as a consequence of intramolecular effects that could be shown to be present in the vapor‐phase spectrum.