REACTIONS OF LASER-ABLATED NIOBIUM, TANTALUM, AND RHENIUM ATOMS WITH NITROGEN-ATOMS AND MOLECULES - INFRARED-SPECTRA AND DENSITY-FUNCTIONALCALCULATIONS OF THE METAL NITRIDE AND DINITRIDE MOLECULES

Laser-ablated niobium, tantalum, and rhenium atoms have been reacted w ith nitrogen atoms and molecules during condensation in excess argon a nd in pure nitrogen gas. Metal nitride molecules NbN, TaN, ReN, and th eir dinitrogen complexes were trapped and identified by nitrogen isoto pic shifts and DFT frequency calculations. The NbN2 and TaN2 dinitride molecules were produced on annealing in solid nitrogen and on deposit ion and increased on photolysis in solid argon. Metal dinitrogen compl exes were also observed for each metal.