Strongly hydrogen-bonded molecular complexes studied by matrix-isolation vibrational spectroscopy. Part 1.—The ammonia–hydrogen chloride complex

Infrared spectra are reported of a strongly hydrogen-bonded complex between ammonia and hydrogen chloride trapped in argon and nitrogen matrices. There are substantial differences between the spectra of the complex in the two matrices, and these are attributed to increased proton transfer from hydrogen chloride to ammonia in the more polar nitrogen matrix. The corresponding gas-phase complex would be expected to display less proton transfer than the complex in an argon matrix.