Isomers of the Elemental Composition CN_2O

摘要

In our search for the still unknown molecule C_2O_2, we irradiated cyanogen di-N-oxide (1) in solid argon at 10 K, with light of wavelength 254 nm. Nitrosyl cyanide (3) was formed, probably by loss of CO from the rearrangement product 2. When an ArF laser (lambda =193 nm) was used, a new species with a strong IR absorption at 1837 cm~(-1) was generated instead of 3. Since the position of this band could be reasonable forC_2O_2 we attempted to determine its origin. A more precise study of the photochemistry of 3 in an argon matrix at 15 K showed that the above-mentioned absorption is not due to C_2O_2 but to isonitrosyl cyanide (5). To the best of our knowledge this isomer of 3 is the first "organic" isonitrosyl compound.