Low-frequency (0-450 cm) dynamics of -alkyl cyanide liquids studied by optical Kerr effect spectroscopy and density functional theory.

This article presents a study of the dynamics of -alkyl cyanides (CHCN with = 1-5) in the 0-450 cm spectral region as a function of alkyl chain length. The spectra were measured using femtosecond optical Kerr effect (OKE) spectroscopy. The OKE spectra are characterized by a broad band in the 0-150 cm region arising mainly from intermolecular modes and by narrow bands in the 150-450 cm region arising from intramolecular modes.