Raman light scattering, infrared absorption and DSC studies of the phase transition and vibrational and reorientational dynamics of H2O ligands and ClO4-anions in [Ba(H2O)3](ClO4)2

[Ba(H2O)3](ClO4)2 between 90 and 300?K possesses two solid phases. One phase transition of the first-order type at: TCh = 211.3?K (on heating) and TCc = 204.6?K (on cooling) was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The entropy change value (?S?similar to?15 Jmol1?K1), associated with the observed phase transition, indicates a moderate degree of molecular dynamical disorder. Both, vibrational and reorientational motions of H2O ligands and ClO4 anions, in the high-temperature and low-temperature phases, were investigated by Fourier transform far-infrared and middle-infrared and Raman light scattering spectroscopies. The temperature dependences of the full-width at half-maximum values of the bands associated with ?w(H2O) mode, in both infrared (similar to 570?cm1) and Raman light scattering (similar to 535?cm1) spectra, suggest that the observed phase transition is not associated with a sudden change of a speed of the H2O reorientational motions. Ligands reorient fast, with correlation time of the order of several picoseconds, with a mean activation energy value Ea?=?5.1 kJ mol1 in both high and low temperature phases. On the other hand, measurements of temperature dependences of full-width at half-maximum values of the infrared band at similar to 460?cm1, associated with dd(OClO)E mode, and Raman band at similar to 1105?cm1, associated with ?as(ClO)F2 mode, revealed the existence of a fast ClO4 reorientation in phase I and in phase II, with the Ea(I) and Ea(II) values equal to 8.0 and 6.5 kJ?mol1, respectively. These reorientational motions of ClO4 are slightly distorted at the TC. Fourier transform far-infrared and middle-infrared spectra with decreasing of temperature indicated characteristic changes at the vicinity of PT at TC, which suggested lowering of the crystal structure symmetry. All these experimental facts suggest that the discovered phase transition is associated with small change of H2O ligands and somewhat major change of ClO4 anions reorientational dynamics, and with insignificant change of the crystal structure, too. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.