Two-dimensional fifth-order Raman spectroscopy of liquid formamide: Experiment and Theory

The fifth-order two-dimensional (2D) Raman spectrum of liquid formamide has been obtained. The absolute signal levels, qualitative features, as well as quantitative aspects of the 2D spectrum are found to be in good agreement with recent molecular dynamics calculations. The most important singular feature is the relatively strong rephasing signal observed along the diagonal. This finding illustrates the more structured nature of the hydrogen bond network of liquid formamide in comparison with simple liquids as exemplified by CS2. The theoretical calculations have been extended to include comparisons of different potentials that illustrate the sensitivity of the experiment to the anharmonic motions in the liquid state. The theoretical results point out the key features in the 2D spectrum that probe the essential details in the intermolecular potential. The experiment has been demonstrated to provide new insight into collective effects operating in hydrogen bonded liquids and opens up the exploration of other liquids with this approach. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.