Reactions of Laser-Ablated Vanadium Atoms with Dioxygen. Infrared Spectra of VO, VO2, OOVO2, and V2O2 in Solid Argon

Laser-ablated V atoms react with O 2 to give primarily the bent VO 2 dioxide molecule and a smaller yield of the monoxide VO. The OVO valence angle is estimated as 118 ± 3° from oxygen isotopic ν 3 frequencies and 121° from DFT calculations. New absorptions appear on annealing to 35 K that can be assigned to two V 2 O 2 isomers and the superoxo adduct to VO 2, namely the OOVO 2 molecule. Both VO 2 and OOVO 2 reveal weak ν 1 + ν 3 combination bands, which support the assignment of ν 1 and ν 3 fundamental vibrations.