Vibrational assignment of the normal modes of 2-phenyl-4-(4-methoxy benzylidene)-2-oxazolin-5-one via FTIR and Raman spectra, and ab inito calculations

Raman and FTIR spectra of 2-phenyl-4-(4-methoxy benzylidene)-2-oxazolin-5-one were recorded in the regions, 100–3300 and 400–4000 cm−1, respectively. Vibrational frequencies and intensities of the fundamental modes of this hetrocyclic organic molecule were computed using ab initio as well as AM1 semiempirical molecular orbital methods. Ab initio calculations were carried out with basis set up to RHF/6-311G. Conformational studies regarding the effect of moving the methoxy group in the 2-phenyl-4-(4-methoxy benzylidene)-2-oxazolin-5-one molecule to a different position on the ring was also carried out. Observed vibrational wavenumbers were found to be mostly consistent with ab initio values. The most intense mode of vibration observed at 1250 cm−1 in Raman spectra, also observed as a strong band in FTIR, was assigned as C–O stretching vibration in the methoxy group. Asymmetric stretching vibrations between CC and CN bonds was predicted as most intense mode by our ab initio calculation.