STRUCTURE, INTERMOLECULAR INTERACTIONS AND MOLECULAR MOBILITY IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS OF DECYLAMMONIUM CHLORIDE

The temperature-dependent vibrational infrared and Raman spectra of 20% solutions of decylammonium chloride in H2O (D2O) were studied. According to previous work, phases S(I) and S(II) were identified in the low-temperature range. Molecular and supermolecular structures were derived. The upper shift (DELTAnu = 12 cm-1) of the Raman-active antisymmetric stretching CH, mode (d-) and its narrowness are peculiar and specific signals of a specific structure. It is proposed that the phase transition S(I) --> S(II) is originated by the onset of a conformational flexibility generally described as twistons or conformational solitons. No evidence was found that the alkyl residues have librational freedom about their axes.