It has been found that dimethyl carbonate exists in the liquid phase as a conformational equilibrium mixture. The conformers differ by rotation about the C—O bonds. The enthalpy difference of the two conformers is found experimentally to be 2.6 ± 0.5 kcal/mol. Dimethyl carbonate crystallizes in contact with alkali halide windows as an oriented polycrystalline film, as shown by polarized infrared spectra.
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Katon et al. (1974) studied this question.