Spectrochemistry of solutions. Part II. Raman spectra of aqueous and liquid ammonia solutions of metal salts

Abstract

The Raman spectra of salts of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Al, Ga, In, Zn, Hg, Pb, and Ag have been recorded in liquid ammonia. From trends in the frequency of the symmetric metal–ligand stretching vibration, it is deduced that the co-ordination number of Li⁺, Be²⁺, Zn²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Ag⁺ is four, and that of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, Ga³⁺, In³⁺ and Pb²⁺ is six. The co-ordination numbers of Zn²⁺ and Ag⁺ are thus not the same in liquid ammonia as they are in water. The vibrational spectrum of the solvent and of nitrate anions in liquid ammonia are briefly discussed.