Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and density functional theoretical study of the aluminum, gallium and indium borates

The aluminum, gallium and indium borates have been produced by co-deposition of metal and boron atoms with oxygen molecules in excess argon at low temperature. The metal borate molecules were identified on the basis of the experimentally observed vibrations with isotopic effects (16O/18O substitutions, and 10B/11B and 69Ga/71Ga in natural abundance) as well as density functional calculations. The aluminum, gallium and indium borates were predicted to have linear geometries with a highly ionic electronic structure.