Vibration–rotational and pure rotational laser–Raman spectra of H2, D2, and HD in matrices at 12 K

The vibration–rotational and pure rotational laser–Raman spectra of H2, D2, and HD were observed in argon, krypton, xenon, nitrogen, and oxygen matrices at 12 K. Transitions arising from the J=0 and J=1 rotational levels were seen for H2 and D2, but from only the J=0 level for HD. Only transitions from the J=0 level were observed for H2 in an oxygen matrix. It is interesting that hydrogen is trapped at all in an inert gas matrix at 12 K; this indicates that hydrogen molecule–inert gas atom interactions are stronger than hydrogen–hydrogen interactions.