Spectroscopic Properties and Ligand Field Analysis of Pentaammine(imidazole)chromium(III) Perchlorate

The emission and excitation spectra of [Cr(NH3)5(imH)](ClO4)3·H2O (imH=imidazole) taken at 77 K are reported. The 298 K visible and far-infrared spectra are also measured. The vibrational intervals of the electronic ground state are extracted from the far-infrared and emission spectra. The ten electronic bands due to spin-allowed and spin-forbidden transitions are assigned. Using the observed transitions, a ligand field analysis has been performed to determine the bonding properties of coordinated imidazole in the title chromium(Ⅲ) complex. It is confirmed that nitrogen atom of the imidazole ligand has a medium it-acceptor property toward chromium(Ⅲ) ion. The zero-phonon line in the excitation spectrum splits into two components by 181 cm-1, and the large 2Eg splitting can be reproduced by the ligand field theory.