Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and density functional theoretical study of the aluminum, gallium and indium borates

Abstract The aluminum, gallium and indium borates have been produced by co-deposition of metal and boron atoms with oxygen molecules in excess argon at low temperature. The metal borate molecules were identified on the basis of the experimentally observed vibrations with isotopic effects ( 16 O/ 18 O substitutions, and 10 B/ 11 B and 69 Ga/ 71 Ga in natural abundance) as well as density functional calculations. The aluminum, gallium and indium borates were predicted to have linear geometries with a highly ionic electronic structure.