REACTIONS OF LASER-ABLATED BE ATOMS WITH H2O - INFRARED-SPECTRA AND DENSITY-FUNCTIONAL CALCULATIONS OF HOBEOH, HBEOH, AND HBEOBEH

Reactions of laser-ablated Be atoms and H2O molecules during condensat ion with excess argon at 10 K gave three new molecules. The direct ins ertion product HBeOH was characterized by matrix infrared observation of isotopic frequencies and density functional theory calculations. Th e major product, HOBeOH, was formed by reaction of water with BeO, mad e from HBeOH decomposition. Another product, HBeOBeH, was formed by th e reaction of a second Be atom with HBeOH.