			15min:

INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF Li(METHYLAMINE)_ n (NH₃)_ m CLUSTERS.

N. BHALLA, L. VARRIALE, N. M. TONGE AND A. M. ELLIS, Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom..

Recent work in our laboratory has led to the first size-selective infrared spectra of neutral Li(NH₃)_ n clusters. Here we report on new work extending these studies to mixed cluster species, where ammonia derivatives such as methylamine (MA) replace some of the ammonia molecules. Spectra recorded using mass-selective IR depletion spectroscopy will be reported for Li(MA)_ m (NH₃)_ n , with the emphasis on n + m = 4 clusters. The impact of replacing NH₃ with bulkier ligands on the solvent structure will be described. In addition the IR spectrum of the smaller cluster Li(MA)(NH₃) will be reported for the first time.