Hydrogen bond studies on n-pentanol and 2-methyl-2-butanol by Raman spectroscopy

Polarized Raman spectra of n-pentanol and its isomer 2-methyl-2-butanol are obtained in the liquid phase near the melting points and at superheated temperatures. The measurements are performed in the intramolecular O-H stretching region. Our analysis of the Raman data provides an interpretation of the spectral features in terms of symmetric O-H bands, originated by various degrees of intermolecular coupling, for which mechanism is different for the two isomers. Temperature dependence of the spectra is also discussed in terms of available structural and dynamical models for these H-bonded liquids.