On the unusual IR spectra of the acetic acid-trimethylamine complex in low temperature matrices

•Ratajczak-Yaremko model applied to hydrogen-bonded complex.•IR spectrum of acetic acid-trimethylamine complex in Ar matrix simulated.•Unusual IR spectrum of the complex successfully reproduced.

Usually the stretching vibration of the A-H group in hydrogen-bonded complexes gives an intense, broad absorption in the IR spectrum. However in a few complexes it has proved difficult to detect this absorption in low temperature matrices. In this work the Ratajczak-Yaremko vibrational model of the hydrogen bond has been applied to simulate the IR spectrum obtained for one such complex: the acetic acid-trimethylamine, ACA-TMA, hydrogen bonded complex isolated in an argon matrix.

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