The vibrational spectrum and lattice dynamics of polycrystalline ammonium hydrosulfide

The infrared spectra of NH4HS and ND4DS have been recorded from 200 to 4000 cm−1 at liquid nitrogen temperatures, and the Raman spectra of these substances have been recorded from 0 to 4000 cm−1 over the temperature range 83–390°K. No evidence of a second solid phase was obtained. Internal and external fundamentals were assigned, in detail, based on selection rules, isotopic frequency shifts, and analogy with other structurally similar salts. Barriers to anion and cation reorientation of 3.8 and 1.9 kcal/mole, respectively, have been calculated from librational assignments. The implications of the infrared spectrum of NH4HS for the possible spectroscopic detection of this substance in the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter are discussed.