Vibrational Features of Oxyamines: A Comparative Study of N,N-Diethylhydroxylamine and N,N-Diethylacetyloxyamine

The ability of oxyamines to undergo homolytic cleavage of the O−C bond, leading to the formation of stable radicals, is widely used in polymerization processes and to prevent oxidative stress in materials. We present a mid and near-infrared spectroscopy study on two model compounds, N,N-diethylhydroxyloxyamine (C4H11NO) and its acetyl derivative N,N-diethylacetyloxyamine (C6H13NO2) in the liquid phase. The analysis of the spectra is based on a complete exploration of the conformational space, coupled to harmonic and anharmonic calculations performed using the generalized second-order vibrational perturbation theory (GVPT2) formalism at the B3LYP−D3(BJ)/Def2-TZVP level of calculation and potential energy distribution analysis. In the most stable species out of 25, the three amine chains present an all-anti arrangement, with the carbonyl oxygen atom pointing towards the nitrogen lone pair. The simulated spectra are in overall good agreement with the experimental ones, and suitable for the assignment of the main observed bands. Furthermore, similarities and divergences between the two molecules are discussed.