Dynamics of Ligated Water Molecules in Oxo-Centered Trinuclear Carboxylates: An Incoherent Inelastic Neutron Scattering Study

Isotopically diluted species were studied with incoherent inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy (IINS) to simplify assignment of the vibrations of oxo-centered trinuclear transition metal complexes. The vibrations of metal–water stretching modes of [Cr₃O(CH₃CO₂)₆(H₂O)₃]Cl⋅5 H₂O and [Fe₂MO(CH₃CO₂)₆(H₂O)₃]⋅3 H₂O (M=Mn, Co) were assigned by comparison of their IIN spectra with those of partially and fully deuterated variants. The method should be of general applicablility to systems where there is extensive hydrogen bonding.